


Forget for a Moment

by WitchWithWifi



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, It's more fluff than smut, Light Smut, Tommy Merlyn Lives, flommy, honestly we could have had it all with these two, season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchWithWifi/pseuds/WitchWithWifi
Summary: Felicity and Tommy were definitely banging in Season 1.A years-long series of snapshots into their lives- what would have happened if Felicity and Tommy got the chance to meet?
Relationships: Tommy Merlyn/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 104
Kudos: 182





	1. Forget for a Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I don't know if that quote from Colin Donnell is verbatim or even real, but I saw it and this idea has been bouncing around in my head ever since. It's light smut here, nothing super explicit.  
> Will I write more? The world may never know.

The incessant beeping drew a loud groan from Felicity. She rolled over to snatch her phone from the bedside table and let out a frustrated sigh. Oliver was being his usual growly self, demanding she show up for an impromptu patrol of the Glades.

A warm hand traced over her bare back. “Arrow business?” Tommy asked, his voice flat. She frowned at his tone, and twisted to look at him. His lips were pressed in a tight line as he looked at the phone she was clutching. Felicity used her free hand to touch his chin, to raise his eyes until he was looking at her again. She knew he was in pain, struggling to reconcile the friend he knew to the killer he hated. The vigilante she helped. The reason they met.

They had started sleeping together long before Tommy had found out about _that_ , though. The first time, it was just a chance encounter. He saw her trying to sneak out of the lair through Verdant, and offered her a drink, thinking she was there to fix the Wi-Fi. One drink led to three, which led to Felicity becoming intimately familiar with Tommy’s office, and Tommy himself in the process. She’d thought it was a one-time thing, even after he asked for her number. But when he texted her a few days later, asking her to come over, she only hesitated for a moment before typing in an enthusiastic _yes_. She’d wondered if she was just revenge sex, a way for Tommy to get back at Oliver after Laurel had broken up with him. She’d asked him during an impromptu movie night- Singing in the Rain, complete with a bottle of red and a pint of mint chip. But he assured her that wasn’t it. She still had moments of doubt- after all, they weren’t anything but friends with benefits. But if they weren’t anything, she rationalized, it shouldn’t bother her.

“Yes, it’s Arrow business. But Oliver can wait.” She tapped out a reply and replaced her phone on the table. “I have more important things to take care of.” She clasped Tommy’s face in her hands and pulled him down for a kiss. When she pulled away, she was relieved to see him smiling again.

“Damn right you do.” He nipped at her earlobe and she sighed. He kissed his way down her throat, and pulled at the sheet that covered her bare breasts. He licked and sucked at each breast until her nipples were peaked and she was breathless with need.

“Tommy, _please._ ” She moaned, rubbing her legs together in a desperate attempt for some relief. She didn’t bother to use her hands- she knew from experience that if she tried to use her hands to pleasure herself, Tommy would slap them away and then drive her to the edge, only to pull away at the last second. Sometimes, the pain was pleasure, but tonight, she needed him _now_.

“Please what?” He asked, looking up from where he had been kissing his way down her stomach, face the picture of innocence. His hands swept up and down her thighs, thumbs just barely brushing at her folds , before sliding away again. Felicity was writhing at this point, her body buzzing with anticipation. She needed something, _anything._ She wanted him to touch her.

She knew why he was doing this. It was only last week that Felicity was the one driving him insane, riding him fast and hard, and slowing down when he looked like he was getting too close to the edge. It made her feel powerful, and now Tommy was returning the favor. It was unfair and so incredibly sexy all at once.

“You.” Felicity breathed heavily. She met his ocean blue eyes, and watched as his pupils grew when she said, “You. Inside of me. Now.” She punctuated her words by nudging her heel against his backside, as if that alone could get him moving.

Tommy rose up on his hands and knees, chuckling as he leaned forward to kiss her. “So romantic.” He murmured against her lips.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ll bring you flowers and chocolate and a giant teddy bear, but not if you don’t fuck me in this next instant.” In truth, they hadn’t had time for romantic in weeks- not that there had been much in the first place.

The grin he gave her was almost predatory, and she found herself letting out a small whimper as he said, “As you wish.” Before she could call out the obvious Princess Bride reference, he sunk into her, and all rational thought left her head. The only thought she had was _Tommy_. The only thing she wanted was for him to keep doing what he was doing.

He didn’t torture her after that. They knew each other’s bodies well enough at this point, knew how to get each other off, making a quick, intense orgasm a reality. It wasn’t often that they came simultaneously, but they did tonight, and when he collapsed on top of her, panting and sweaty, she grinned and patted the top of his head. “Good work.” She breathed.

They didn’t move for a long minute. Felicity needed time to figure out if her legs still worked, after all.

It was the ringing of her phone that startled them back into reality. Felicity reached out blindly, and answered the phone without looking. “What?”

Oliver’s voice was sharp. “Where are you?”

“I told you, I had something to do.” She felt more than heard Tommy’s laugh, where his mouth was still pressing soft, open mouthed kissed on her ribcage, “I don’t live to serve you.”

“Starling City needs you.” When that was met with an unimpressed silence, Oliver sighed and let out a reluctant, “I need you, too.”

“That’s very sweet. What’s the magic word?”

“Felicity.”

“Oliver.” Her voice was steel, unrelenting.

Tommy had stopped kissing her now, and was looking up with an expression that showed that he was torn between amusement and disapproval. While he did hate his friend’s nighttime activities, he loved how his girl handled the Green Arrow without fear or reluctance.

The sigh was audible even to Tommy. “Please?” The word sounded like it was being ripped out of him through his gritted teeth.

“Aw, now was that so hard?” Felicity winked down at Tommy, and then rolled out of the bed, and began the search for her clothes. “I’ll be there in ten.” She hung up without waiting for a response. Tommy rose to help her as they began the much-rehearsed dance of tossing each other their various clothes and belongings, before remaking the bed, which required quite a bit of untangling sheets and retrieving pillows.

“I guess I’ll see you later.” Felicity said, and pressed a brief kiss to Tommy’s lips as she grabbed her keys.

Tommy reached out, pulling her closer for a longer, filthier kiss. He wanted to erase Oliver from her mind, if only for a moment. For once, he wanted to be the only one she was thinking of. “I’ll see you.”

Her smile was bright as she patted his chest. Then, she was gone, disappearing into the night. Tommy was left, standing in his doorway, wondering if it was too late to ask her out. He’d always thought of Felicity as Oliver’s- he met her first, he’d seen her talent where no one had even noticed her. But maybe, just maybe, she could be Tommy’s too, in a way Laurel never had been. Maybe they could be each other’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Felicity didn't meet in the show because they would have been too powerful a couple and that's that on that.


	2. Mint Chocolate Chip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Here's a quick story about their movie night mentioned in the first chapter.  
> Some differences in canon include: Tommy left Laurel around the time of episode 15, for the same reasons that he leaves her in canon. This takes place a little before he find out about Oliver's secret identity. Enjoy!

There was a knock on her door. Felicity frowned, surprised. She wasn’t expecting any visitors. In fact, she had a much needed date with her heating pad and a certain British cooking show.

She shuffled to the front door, and opened it, expecting to find a lost pizza delivery person. Instead, Tommy Merlyn was standing on her doorstep, holding a paper bag with a bright grin on his face. “Tommy?”

“Hey, Smoak! How are you feeling? Can I come in? This bag is getting heavy.”

Felicity stepped aside to let him in, still very confused. “You did get my text, right?” She asked, following him as he made his way to her kitchen island. Their relationship- really, a friendship with benefits- was still fairly new. She wasn’t sure if Tommy showing up at her apartment after she had already explained why they couldn’t do anything this week (with her face flushed red as she typed out her text) was crossing a line.

“I did. I figured you could use some sustenance.” He was still wearing that silly dimpled smile as he began unloading his bag. A tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream, two bottles of wine, and-

“Wow, you even got the kind with wings on them.” Felicity accepted the box of pads with a small smile.

He shrugged. “Laurel used to say they were the best kind.” He stopped talking abruptly, face flushing. “I didn’t want to overstep, but-“

Felicity smiled, placing a calming hand on his arm. “This is… thank you. No one’s ever done this for me before.” She was surprised he had said anything about Laurel. Usually, Felicity was the one to slip up- to mention something Oliver had said about her, and Tommy would shut down. She'd had a front seat to their break up. It hadn't been pretty. “I’m gonna put these in the bathroom. You… I mean, do you want-“

“If you want the company, I’m here.” He offered, and his voice was different. A little hesitant. They were both unsure, Felicity realized, about each other’s boundaries. In bed (or on top of a desk, or on the floor), they were great. Amazing. Outside of it was where they seemed to stumble the most.

Felicity nodded, at a loss for words, before she disappeared down the hallway. She took a moment in the bathroom to take a steadying breath, and re-tied her hair into a pony tail. She couldn’t fathom why Tommy wanted to be here, with her, instead of spending time with Oliver, or one of his many other rich and bored friends. Still, she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when said horse had her favorite type of ice cream on hand.

When she came out of the bathroom, she was amused to see Tommy sprawled on her secondhand couch, looking entirely at home. There were two bowls of mint chip waiting for them, and two wine glasses at the ready.

She smiled and sat down. “You do realize it is three in the afternoon?”

He reflected her expression. “I do indeed. But wine makes everything better.” He poured a glass of red and held it out to her. She only hesitated a moment before grabbing it and taking a large sip. Felicity was rewarded by Tommy’s smile turning into something victorious and pleased, and he poured himself a glass and sat back on her couch.

She traded the wine for the ice cream so she could eat it before it melted, and settled against the arm of the couch. Without thinking, she plopped her feet in Tommy’s lap.

He raised an eyebrow, and she felt her face hear up in embarrassment. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t-“

Tommy placed a calming hand on her pajama-clad calf, stopping her from moving her legs. “Don’t worry about it.”

Felicity blew out a shaky laugh. “We’re bad at this.”

“At what?”

“This.” Felicity waved a hand between the two of them. “I mean, we’re good at the sex stuff. At least, I think we are. I’m a fan of it.”

“I am too.” Tommy confirmed, bemused smile still on his face.

“But everything else we’re just tripping over ourselves apologizing for little things. You apologized for showing up with treats, and I’m apologizing for sitting with you.”

Tommy nodded, understanding. “You think we need to either set more boundaries-“

“Or stop apologizing.” Felicity finished. “Yes.”

Tommy sat for a moment, considering. “Well. I like spending time with you. So I’m going to vote for stop apologizing.”

Felicity let out a breath of relief. “Me, too.” She settled happily back into her seat and reached for the remote.

“So, what are we watching?”

“The Great British Bake Off.”

Tommy looked lost. “The what?”

Felicity gaped at him. “You’ve never seen it?”

“Should I have?”

“Yes. We can’t sleep together again until you’ve seen at least one episode.”

Tommy chuckled. “Well, we can’t have that. Play on.”

They watched five episodes. The ice cream was gone and the bottle of wine wasn’t far behind when they finally called it a night.

“I still can’t believe they made the cake upside down!” Tommy shook his head as he put on his shoes. Felicity leaned against the back of the couch and grinned.

“Am I supposed to believe you can make something like that?”

Tommy looked up at her with raised eyebrows. “I will have you know that I am an excellent cook, Ms. Smoak. And yes, I dabble in baking sometimes.”

Felicity laughed, a little disbelieving. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Tommy stood up, and walked forward until their chests were almost touching. “Is that a challenge?”

Felicity tipped her chin up to meet Tommy’s dark blue eyes. “Only if I get food out of it. _Good_ food, Merlyn.”

He laughed, and Felicity realized it was quickly becoming her favorite sound. “I think I can afford to splurge on you.” The billionaire’s eyes twinkled, and Felicity bit her lip.

In place of a witty retort, she reached up to kiss him. Just because she could. He responded instantly, one arm banding around her waist, while he brought his other hand to her hair, fingers tangling with her curls. He tasted like mint and wine.

He pulled away too soon, and Felicity sighed at the loss, like she hadn’t just spent the entire day curled up next to him, stealing kisses each time one of them had gotten up. “I have to go to work.” He tugged on his shirtsleeves. “How do I look?”

Felicity took the invitation to look up and down at Tommy’s admittedly impressive physique. His black hair was tousled in a way that looked natural, but she knew involved three hair products and fifteen minutes in front of a mirror. The blue button down he was wearing matched his eyes. He looked every part the billionaire playboy slash club owner. Her heart hammered, and she wondered if he was going home with some other girl tonight. It bothered her, thinking of him with another girl.

“Great.” She managed, flattening her palms against his chest, and adjusting the collar of his shirt. “You look great.”

Tommy beamed at her, and tapped the end of her nose. “See ya later, Smoaky.”

“Bye.” She murmured, a half smile on her face as she watched him jog down her front steps, and hop into a car that probably cost more than her annual salary.

Sometimes, it was easy for her to forget that Tommy Merlyn was _Tommy Merlyn_. He was her friend who texted her about silly things like the mechanics of tandem bicycles, or wondering if the bird that hit his office window was okay. They had great sex and he came to her apartment with ice cream and wine. But all she had to do was look at his car, or the label on the wine, and the fact hit her like a ton of bricks. She wasn’t a one-night stand, a random girl he picked up at the bar. Maybe they were even becoming friends. But she certainly wasn’t holding out hope for him to fall for her. That wasn’t in the cards. Besides-

Felicity’s phone beeped, pulling her out of her melancholy thoughts. Diggle wanted to know if she could come in to monitor their patrol. She responded in the affirmative, and reluctantly changed out of her pajamas and into something more appropriate for breaking at least ten federal laws in a leaky basement.

She wasn’t the kind of girl Tommy Merlyn could love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will not be told in order, which will be very interesting as a writer. Thanks for reading!


	3. Who am I Defending?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finds out about Felicity's night job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: This is a fun, lighthearted fic!  
> Me to me: Write about Tommy's heart being shattered.  
> Anyway, Tommy finds out about Felicity's night job. This takes place during The Huntress Returns. Before chapter one but after chapter 2. Only real difference is Tommy and Laurel are no longer together. Enjoy!

Tommy was shaking with fury. It had been almost a whole day, but he still felt like something in his brain had to be misfiring. Ollie was the Green Arrow. His best friend was a killer, a _murderer_. He’d been home for _months_ , and Tommy hadn’t even noticed, he had been so elated that his best friend was back from the dead. Clearly Oliver hadn’t truly returned. Something had died in him on the island. Whoever had come back in his place? That wasn’t Tommy’s Ollie. He couldn't coincide the two people as one.

Tommy didn’t realize he’d called Felicity until he heard her voice on the other end of the line. “Tommy? Are you alright?”

He wanted to be cavalier. To plat it cool. But instead his voice broke, and he asked in a choked voice, “Can you come over?”

Felicity, to her credit, didn’t ask him why he sounded like he was on the edge of a breakdown. She promised she would be there in 20 minutes and hung up.

Tommy put his head between his knees, breathing deeply, like his therapist had told him to any time he felt a panic attack coming on. His head was still spinning, and for once, he didn’t want to drown out the mess of his life with drugs or alcohol. He needed to _think_.

The doorbell rang, jolting him out of the stupor he’d found himself in. Felicity was on the other side of the door in her pajamas and a raincoat, wearing a curious look. Seeing her face was like a breath of fresh air, and he pulled her into his chest for a tight hug. She let out a little oof, before hesitantly wrapping her arms around his middle.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you,” Felicity started, her words muffled as she spoke into his sweater. “But what is this about?”

The elation he’d felt at seeing her evaporated like mist on a sunny day. He pulled away to meet her eyes. She stared back at him, concerned. “It’s a long story. Here, take a seat.” He took her coat and hung it by the door, before leading her to the couch. Tommy hadn’t figured out how much he wanted to reveal to her, but he knew he needed to tell someone something before his brain exploded. She always helped him make sense of the world. This would be no different.

He realized that she had never been to his apartment. It wasn’t much to look at. All muted greys and blacks, with very few personal touches. It was the polar opposite of her own home, which was colorful, and filled with mismatched furniture and had little tchotchkes on ever available surface. He felt infinitely more comfortable in her place than his own, and for a split second wished they were curled up on her couch, in her warm living room instead of in the clinical space he had let an interior designer create.

Felicity perched on the couch next to him, hand on his knee. The warmth of her skin was reassuring, grounding. Tommy felt the tornado of his thoughts begin to slow down, and words fell out of his mouth.

“What would you do if… if something you had been sure of your entire life turned out to be untrue?” Felicity tilted her head, but didn’t speak. He went on. “I found something out last night that just. Turned my whole world upside down. I thought I knew someone better than I knew myself, and it turns out I didn’t know them at all. They might as well be a stranger to me.” Tears pricked his eyes as it all hit him again, and he blinked them back furiously. "It was all a lie. I should have known, but I didn't."

Next to him, Felicity blew out a long breath. He sent her a sidelong glance, and found her looking down at her hands. “Oliver told you he was the Arrow, didn’t he?” She looked up at him, unsurprised.

Of all of the things he had expected to come out of Felicity’s mouth, that was not one of them. He stared at her, slack jawed. “H-how did you…?”

Felicity took in a shuddering breath, and her eyes darted around the room before locking on his. “Because I’m helping him.”

The floor dropped out from under Tommy. Or at least that’s what it felt like. He stared at the girl in front of him. Felicity. With her two-toned glasses and pajama pants with llamas on them. The girl who wore panda flats and liked British baking shows. She was helping him? His friend- no, his former friend. The vigilante. “No…”

“Tommy,” She reached out to put a hand on his arm, but he flinched away. He stood up and began to pace. “I need his help to find Walter,” She explained, voice beseeching.

“He’s a murderer!” Tommy snapped. “You’re an accomplice.”

She had tears in her eyes, but he didn’t care. His face felt flushed and he wanted to punch something, anything. There were too many emotions swirling inside of him already, and this admission just felt like betrayal. He ran restless fingers through his hair, tugging painfully at his scalp. He looked anywhere but her.

“I wanted to tell you,” She half-whispered. “Oliver didn’t want you to know. He didn’t want you to get hurt. The things he does? They’re dangerous, Tommy.”

“But not too dangerous for you?”

Felicity spread her hands out. “I’m in a basement. I’m nobody. Tommy, you’re Oliver’s _best friend_. You mean the world to him.”

He waned to correct her. Felicity wasn’t nobody. But he was so confused and so hurt. He didn’t want to say something he’d regret, so he asked her to leave. For a second, she hesitated. “Please.” He added, voice breaking. She didn’t say anything else. She gathered her things and quietly slipped out the door. When he heard it click behind her, he allowed himself to collapse on the living room floor and dissolve into tears.

_Later_

“Felicity, are you okay?” Tommy let himself into her apartment. This time, it was she who was curled up on the couch, looking as vulnerable and scared as he felt.

An hour earlier, he’d received a text from Oliver. He’d been tempted to ignore it out of principle, but the club was opening in a few hours, and if it was business related, he would hate himself for ignoring it. It wasn’t business related, but much more important. _FYI- Huntress on the move. she made a friend hack into a database for info. I’ll try to be to the opening on time._

Tommy’s stomach dropped. There was only one friend he could be talking about. The same woman he’d kicked out of his apartment not one night ago. He quickly signed off on everything put in front of him without reading it while he called Felicity’s number again. And again. She didn't pick up up and he started getting more and more nervous. He tapped out an anxious text, heart racing.

_Tommy: Oliver just told me what happened. Are you okay?_

_Tommy: Felicity??_

_Felicity: Yes._

_Felicity: No._

_Felicity: I don’t know. I’m fine. Good luck with the opening._

Oliver appeared in front of him. Tommy felt the beginnings of a smile build at the sight of his friend before he remembered. “Hey, can you handle things here?” He asked, edging his way around the bar.

“Yeah, but what-“

Tommy didn’t let Oliver finish. “We’re all set with the vendors, but I need to do something really quick. Just don’t let the place burn down before we open.”

He left Oliver standing on the concrete floor, open mouthed at Tommy’s retreating figure.

 _Tommy: Felicity, I’m coming over._ He broke quite a few laws to speed to her apartment. She had given him a key a week ago, but this was the first time he'd used it.

Felicity looked up at him through watery eyes. She looked so vulnerable, wrapped up in a blanket and still in her work clothes. Her panda flats were on the floor next to her.

“I’m fine.” She said, though her voice wavered. “Guess I should have figured I would be held at arrow-point sooner or later.” She tried for a laugh, but it came off forced even to his ears.

“Don’t joke about that.” Tommy said as he sat down next to her. He held his arms out as if to hug her, but hesitated. “Is it okay if I-“

She pitched sideways into his arms, and he accepted her willingly. It was an awkward position, but he could feel her relax in his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured into her hair. “I was angry, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Felicity pulled away but kept her hands on her forearms, like she was afraid he would pull away at any second. “What? No, Tommy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I kept you in the dark. You had a right to know.”

He waved away the apology. “We've both been stupid. I’m not going to lie, I felt betrayed when you told me. Almost more betrayed than when Ollie told me.” Felicity’s eyebrows raised, and he held up a finger. “I’m not done. Despite that, when Oliver mentioned a hacker that he knew had been threatened, I wasn’t angry anymore. I was just scared for you.”

Felicity closed her eyes. “It was terrifying.” She admitted in a quiet voice. She didn’t think now was the best time to mention the bomb collar from a few months prior.

Tommy pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I’m so, so sorry.”

Felicity didn’t cry, but when he pulled her back into his arms, a lump formed in her throat. How could he be so sweet with her, knowing what he knew? She clung to him with all she was worth. She drank in the fact that he was here, with her, when last night, she had thought it was all over.

After a few minutes of his, Tommy leaned back, but kept his hands on her. They were warm, and steady, and she felt safer with him. “You weren’t lying about Ollie’s life being dangerous.”

Felicity shook her head. “He really did want to keep you safe. He loves you so much.” She pressed a hand to his cheek.

He leaned into her touch. “I know. I love him. It just doesn’t feel real. Ollie is a vigilante. He’s a killer.”

“Maybe,” Felicity swiped her thumb across his cheek in a soothing gesture. “Maybe you should hear him out. It may not seem like it, but he is trying to make this city a better place.”

Tommy turned his head to press a kiss to her palm. “Want to come with me?”

Felicity shook her head, leaning back a little into her blanket. “I’m not really in the mood for large crowds tonight.”

“Do you want me to stay?” He asked. If she said yes, he would, happily. The club opening was nowhere near as important as the woman sitting beside him.

She smiled knowingly. “No. You have a business to run, and as much as I respect Oliver, I know he has no ability to open a club without the brains behind it all.” She leaned forward to kiss him, but stopped, a few inches away from his face. Her expression was unsure, and still afraid. Afraid he would reject her, afraid that not all was forgiven.

Tommy took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss against her lips, long enough and with just enough force to make her really believe it.

“We’re okay,” He promised. “I’m still upset, and I’m still hurt, but we are going to be okay. I’m going to open my stupid club, and tomorrow we’re going to have a real talk.” He paused, searching her face. “If that’s alright with you?”

Felicity gave him her first real smile of the day, and the tight knot in his chest loosened just a little. “Yes, I would like that.” She pressed another quick kiss to his lips, then patted him on the chest. “Now go, get out of here.”

He hesitated, and she rolled her eyes in understanding. “I’ll call Dig and see if he wants to hang out with me.”

Tommy smirked. “If the look he was giving Oliver was any indication, he’ll take any out you give him."

Her laugh was music to his ears. “That’s his usual look for Oliver.”

“So I’ve noticed.” He squeezed her land one last time. “I’ll see ya, Smoaky.”

She waved as he left. He made sure the door was closed tightly behind him, and locked it before he turned to head toward Verdant. He had a club to open, some thinking to do, and maybe a friend to forgive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few more chapters planned, but this doesn't really have a plot. Just exploring the fun storylines Tommy and Felicity could have had.


	4. Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Tommy meet for the first time. Things kind of snowball from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one totally got away from me, and is way longer than it has any right to be. But there is some smut towards the end, so, you know. Worth it. Enjoy!

To say it had been a hard first night would be an understatement. Felicity was only helping Oliver so she could find Walter. She was not in this to help orphan little kids. It wasn’t the kid’s fault that Ken Williams ruined people’s lives. She would not punish an innocent child by allowing them to be tossed into Starling City’s… questionable foster system.

Oliver’s one-track mind and-pig headedness were an acquired taste, but it was one Felicity had not yet gotten. Frankly, she didn’t think she wanted to acquire a taste for cold-blooded murder. Her conversation with Oliver left her wanting a large glass of wine and the opportunity to scream into her pillow for a minute or two.

He had left through the alley door, and though the chance was slim, Felicity didn’t want to risk running into him. She was storming out- she didn’t need his broody attitude ruining her own. Construction in the club had wrapped up hours ago, so she knew she would be fine to leave through the front door.

Though Felicity was loath to admit it, Verdant was shaping up to be a nice place for a club. The floors remained concrete, but the walls were painted a shiny black, and the bar had countertops to match. Felicity was attempted to peek behind the bar, and maybe steal a bottle for herself, but she knew that someone lower down the ladder would likely get punished, and it wouldn’t hurt Oliver in the slightest. It wasn’t worth it.

She was halfway across the room when a surprised voice called out, “Who are you?” Felicity yelped in surprise and jumped about a foot in the air, heart thundering in her chest.

“Sorry, sorry.” The unfamiliar voice apologized, and she turned to see a man with dark hair and blue eyes come down from the upstairs office. It only took her a minute to clock him. Tommy Merlyn, best friend to Oliver, and heir to the Merlyn family fortune. Unlike Oliver, he thought this club was a legitimate business venture for himself and his best friend. “I thought all of the construction people had left.”

So had she. Felicity had about five seconds to come up with a believable enough lie so as not to expose Oliver’s secret, regardless of how desperately she wanted to. “I, uh. Yes. Everyone else left. But I was setting up the WiFi. In the basement! Which is why you didn’t see me. Until now, of course.” Not technically a lie. Oliver had set up rudimentary internet, but Felicity had brought the WiFi up to modern day standards the night Oliver got shot. Tommy Merlyn didn’t need to know that, though.

“I see.” He said with an easy smile. “Well, I owe you a big thanks, then. Makes it easier for people to tag us on Instagram after we open, really get the word out.”

Felicity felt her stormy mood begin to dissipate at his easy smile and open expression. She couldn’t help it; he was too… smiley for her to feel furious anymore. “I highly doubt that you will have an issue with filling up this club.”

Tommy stopped at the bottom of the stairs and quirked a dark eyebrow. He was still smiling. “And why is that?”

Felicity rolled her eyes, and took a couple of steps towards him, though half her mind was still focused on her wine-and-screaming plan. “Like the names Merlyn and Queen aren’t going to send half of the single women of Starling City flocking to the doors every night.” She paused, considering. “And maybe some of the non-single women too.”

Surprisingly, Tommy let out a pleased laugh. “I’m flattered that you think so. Are you trying to tell me you’re not one of them?” He leaned his elbows on the railing, as if settling in for a long conversation.

Felicity jerked her thumb towards the door she had just walked through. “I’m just the WiFi girl. I enjoy a glass of wine, and being able to think without a bass beat reverberating in my skull.” She had never been a huge club person. She had only been 19 when she graduated college, and by the time she was 21, was working nights at Queen Consolidated. She didn’t have the time or the friends for clubbing. Another thing on the list that Tommy Merlyn didn’t need to know about. “I’m Felicity, by the way.”

“I’m Tommy Merlyn, but it seems that you already knew that.” He tilted his head, like he was looking at her though a completely different lens. “I have wine.”

“Okay?” Felicity’s eyebrows furrowed together, unsure of where he was going with this.

He stepped back and gestured toward his office. “Would you like to have a glass with me? I could do with a nightcap before I head home.”

Felicity didn’t know a lot about billionaires, but she found it extremely unlikely that many were in the habit of inviting their local IT nerd up for a nightcap after work was over.

She gripped the handle of her purse. “Sorry, but I know about stranger danger. Even if you are Oliver’s best friend.”

Tommy’s smile returned to its full, open wattage. “Scout’s honor, I’m not coming on to you. You just seem like someone who I can have a real conversation with.” Seeing that Felicity still wasn’t convinced, he tried again. “You set up the WiFi, right? Which means you must have set up the security system.”

Indeed, she had.

“The cameras are going, then. But if you want to go home, I won’t hold you up, and I hope you drive safely.” His voice was so sincere, and it didn’t hold the slightest sort of edge that she was used to listening for. In the span of two minutes, the billionaire in front of her was unwinding some of her pre-conceived notions about him. Notions that had admittedly been built by the tabloids.

Felicity released one hand from the strap of her purse. She meant to reach into her bag, and go digging for her keys. But there was something in Tommy’s face that made her trust him. In spite of everything she had read in the tabloids, there was nothing about him that seemed dangerous. In this sense, he was Oliver’s polar opposite.

“One glass.” She agreed, and Tommy swept his hand out to usher her up the metal stairs.

The outside of the office was the same shiny black as the club, so Felicity was surprised to step inside and find the walls a dark shade of grey, and to see hardwood under her feet.

Tommy left the door open, and went straight for his desk while Felicity took it all in. There was a leather couch along one wall, and a fake plant in the corner. The mahogany desk took up the majority of the space, and two leather arm chairs faced it, while a rolling desk chair sat behind it. “I know this doesn’t look like the rest of the club, but there’s no way I can focus on work in a room with black walls on every side of me.” He said, answering her unasked question.

The bottle was a label she was unfamiliar with, but Felicity would bet her month’s wages that it was worth more than anything she could afford. Tommy handed her the glass, and she settled in one of the leather armchairs. She took a sip as Tommy took the seat next to her, and hummed in appreciation. She was right. It was _very_ good wine.

“So. Felicity,” Tommy rolled the syllables of her name off his tongue, like he was testing them out. “Where are you from? I haven’t seen you around the club much.”

Damn, he was observant. “I actually work in IT at Queen Consolidated. Oliver asked if I could moonlight here with him. I mean, not with him! Obviously. For the club. To do IT stuff.” Felicity winced as Tommy raised his eyebrows at the innuendo. “And as Oliver learned, I usually stick my foot in my mouth within five minutes of any conversation.”

Her face flushed red and Felicity took a large sip of her drink to avoid having to say anything else. When she dared to look up at Tommy again she was surprised to find him wearing an expression that was a cross between intrigued and amused. It was a refreshing change from Oliver’s usually impatient look.

“So,” Tommy leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “Do you work with Oliver a lot?”

Felicity frowned and leaned back in her own seat. “What is this? I’m starting to feel like I’m on a job interview.” She was only half kidding.

Tommy, to his credit, blushed, looking slightly abashed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to grill you or anything.” His usually bright smile flickered, and he ran a hand through his already tousled hair. His biceps were put on display through the tight sleeves of his button down, and Felicity did her best to refocus her eyes on Tommy's face. “I feel like Ollie hasn't been telling me about a lot of what he's been doing, lately. I just want to be there for him, you know?”

At this, Felicity allowed him a small smile. This poor guy had no idea what was going on in his best friend’s life. She decided to throw him a bone. “Well, he came to me with computer troubles. After five years on an island, he needed some help adjusting to modern technology.” Felicity mentally winced as she remembered the setup he’d had in the basement before she joined the team.

Tommy threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, I know. When I got him the new iPhone, I tried to teach him how to play Angry Birds. _Tried_ being the operative word.” He shook his head, still smiling at the memory. “It was like watching a kitten with its head stuck in a Kleenex box.”

The image of The Green Arrow trying and failing to play what was essentially a children’s game had Felicity doubled over in laughter. Her earlier anger was completely gone, thanks to Oliver’s best friend. Who would have thought?

Tommy reached across the desk and held out the bottle to her. She nodded. It really was good wine, “Just a half.” He obliged, and refilled his own glass as well. Felicity settled again in her seat. “So, is it my turn to ask questions?”

Her wry question was rewarded with one of those infamous Merlyn grins the tabloids loved to gush about. “Go for it.”

“What are you doing here alone? Isn’t this a joint venture for you and Oliver?” Of course, she knew where Oliver was right now, but Tommy didn’t know that. She needed to keep up the air of clueless IT employee.

Tommy’s mostly happy expression darkened just a shade. “In theory, yeah. I don’t want to air our dirty laundry or anything, but,” He sighed, taking a sip of his wine. “He pops in and out so frequently, I decided to handle the hands-on part of the business. Vendors, builders, painters. IT people.” He winked at Felicity, and she smiled. “If they’re here, I’m here.”

“Sounds exhausting.” She said, meaning it.

He shrugged. “It’s more interesting than what I was doing before. I like this.” He gestured broadly. “Building something. Maybe it’s not as reputable as a charity, but I like the work.”

Tommy had an earnestness in his voice as he discussed the plans for the club, and Felicity found herself liking this man even more. Sure, he had a 100-watt smile and more money than anyone would know what to do with, but he was truly passionate about Verdant in a way that Oliver never was. He knew the name of every person they were interviewing for both front and back of house work.

“I want to do some good once this is off the ground, though. My mom used to have a clinic in the Glades. I… I _hope_ that if this club makes good money, I can donate some of mine to reopening it.”

Felicity placed a friendly hand on his arm. “That sounds like a great idea.” Her eyes flickered down to the expensive-looking watch on his wrist. “It’s getting late; I should probably get a move on.”

In a smooth flick of the wrist, Tommy lightly grasped her fingers in his as he stood, and helped her to her feet. The back of Felicity’s neck heated up at the contact. His fingers were cool from holding his glass, and she relished in the feeling for another long second before she pulled back. “Thanks for the nightcap.”

Tommy grinned at her. She wondered if he was capable any other expression. Smiling and grinning seemed to be his default. “My pleasure. Thank you for an interesting conversation.” He gave her another one of those speculative looks. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

She laughed. “Quoting Casablanca at me?”

“Oh, yeah, we’re definitely going to get along just fine.”

Felicity shook her head. As much as she wanted to see him again (and wow, what a strange world she was living in to be wanting to see Tommy Merlyn again), she really had no reason to be lingering around the club, barring any internet issues, and she told him as much.

Tommy was unbothered. “Guess I’ll have to come up with some internet issues.” He winked at her. She did her best to not let her legs turn into Jell-o at that. “See ya, Smoaky.”

He leaned in to give her a friendly peck on the cheek, right as she was turning to give him a handshake, which lead to a very confused Felicity Smoak getting kissed on the lips by one Thomas Merlyn.

He pulled away almost instantly, spluttering an apology, but Felicity was still focused on how her lips tingled from that one brief contact. Felicity blinked up at him, and smiled. Her expression must have been encouraging, because the deluge of apologies died on Tommy’s lips as he watched her face.

Felicity knew Tommy had broken up with Laurel a week ago. Oliver had mentioned it to Diggle the night before, while Felicity was trying to explain to both of them how the computer system worked. It seemed like unimportant information at the time, but now…

She took a tiny step towards him. Tommy didn’t step back. “The first rule here,” She said in a hushed voice, despite the fact that they were the only two people in the room. “No apologies.”

Tommy looked down at her, a hesitant expression on his face. Felicity just smiled, though her heart was pounding. She wanted to know what he would do next.

Slowly, as if he were afraid that he would spook her, Tommy lifted a hand to cup Felicity’s jaw. His thumb came to rest on her cheekbone. He still looked slightly startled, and a little apprehensive. Felicity was almost relieved to see him wear an expression that wasn’t that easy grin. She leaned into the touch and mirrored his move. Her fingers slid from his cheek, to his jaw, to curl around the back of his neck. The ends of his hair brushed against her skin as she tugged him closer to her, and he came willingly.

This kiss was on purpose, and Felicity almost melted at the contact. Tommy’s lips were soft, and pliant, and he tasted like fine wine and mint. His other hand pressed against the small of her back, and Felicity was suddenly pressed flush against him, with both of her hands clutching against his shoulders as she deepened the kiss. Tommy slid a knee between her legs, as if to support her, but she just gasped into his mouth when his thigh brushed against her core.

It was a long minute before they broke apart, half gasping for air. Felicity knew her cheeks must be flaming red, but at that moment she didn’t care.

His pupils were blown and his lips were red from her lipstick. “I…” He started, paused, and then started again. He still had one hand on her back. “I was not expecting that.”

“Me either.” Felicity giggled, and bit her kiss-swollen lips. “But now that we’re here…” Her eyes darted to the couch and then back up to Tommy.

He raised both of his eyebrows at her. “What happened to stranger danger?”

She smiled. “You quoted Casablanca at me. You are officially not a stranger.”

Tommy’s beautiful face was transformed by his smile. “Oh, well if that’s the case…” He swept her up in his arms, and Felicity squeaked in surprise.

Clothes were shed and condoms were retrieved (“You have condoms in your desk?” “I’m a Boy Scout. Always prepared.”), and Felicity didn’t have time to reflect on the fact that she was definitely breaking some sort of bro-code here, because she was having the best sex of her life with the one billionaire in town who didn’t have some dark secret involving arrows and murder.

She was surprised to find that Tommy gave as good as he got. He hooked her legs over his shoulders and lowered his head to kiss his way up her thighs. “Oh, you don’t have to-“ She tried to protest, but it came out as a sigh. His laugh was breathy, and she shivered as his lips brushed against her folds.

“Oh, but I want to.” Tommy’s voice was low, and full of promise. He was skilled with his tongue, alternatively licking and sucking on her clit while she writhed above him, her own breath coming out in low moans. Tommy inserted one, and then two fingers inside of her, all while still continuing to work at her with his mouth. When he crooked those fingers inside of her, and flicked her clit with his tongue it was like something exploded inside of her. Her back bowed off the couch while she rode out the feeling of pure bliss for as long as she could.

When she came back down from the high, she wasn’t even given time to feel embarrassed about the sounds she had made before, because Tommy was peppering her face with kisses, telling her how fucking hot it was to watch her come for him.

Once she got feeling back in her legs, Felicity was more than happy to turn the tables. She always liked being on top, and Tommy used the opportunity to lavish her breasts with kisses and caresses as she rocked on top of him, gripping one of his shoulders for leverage. She switched between fast and slow paces. She lifted herself almost all the way off of him only to slam back down again. Tommy's head dropped back against the couch as he groaned in pleasure.

Felicity leaned down for a kiss, and Tommy obliged. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth, and gently bit down on it, dragging her teeth across the soft skin, and he came undone underneath her.

Suffice it to say, she left Verdant _much_ later than she had intended to. But on the bright side, she left with a second billionaire’s phone number in her contacts, and a whispered promise of “We are _definitely_ doing this again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes come yell at me about the gratuitous Casablanca references.  
> The kitten in the Kleenex box quote is stolen from Fangirl. I regret nothing.


	5. Tell the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy wants to tell Oliver about him and Felicity. Felicity isn't sure what there is to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter five of "another chapter that got away from me". There was supposed to be smut. I promise, next chapter I will deliver on that promise.  
> Timeline wise, this is Season 2, around episode 3 or 4.  
> This story goes:  
> 1\. Meet (Chapter 4)  
> 2\. Mint Chocolate Chip (Chapter 2)  
> 3\. Who am I Defending (Chapter 3)  
> 4\. Forget for a Moment (Chapter 1)  
> 5\. Tell the World (Chapter 5)
> 
> Enjoy!

“Tommy,” Felicity giggled as he kissed her neck while she tried to twist out of his embrace. “I have to go.” They were standing behind the bar at Verdant. Felicity had run in to greet Tommy before heading down to the lair. A brief hello had quickly turned into a very intense make out session, while her phone buzzed incessantly in her purse.

“The Hood can wait for five minutes.” He murmured in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Her rebuttal- the fact that he had said the same thing five minutes ago- died on her lips as he continued kissing his way up the column of her neck.

“We,” Her breath stuttered as he bit her earlobe. “We are in public.” She tried again, the words coming out in a whoosh of breath.

Tommy pulled away to look around them. She bit back a moan at the loss of his touch, despite this being what she was aiming for. “I don’t see anyone.” True to his word, Verdant was completely empty. The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the high windows, bathing the usually dark club in a pleasant haze of golden light. Tommy turned back to look at her, a devilish grin on his face. “Do you?”

Before she could answer, he had her in his arms, and seated on the bar counter. Without thinking, she let her knees fall to either side of his hips, locking him in place. Tommy quickly resumed his mission of driving her completely insane as he began kissing his way up the other side of her neck, and teased his lips against the ticklish area in the underside of her jaw. She squirmed away, laughing until he kissed her. She could still feel the smile when her hands came up to cup his cheeks. She was glad. His smiles had been few and far between ever since The Undertaking.

As much as she wanted to take this further, to drag him upstairs and make good use of the lock on his office door, she could _feel_ Oliver’s impatience radiating up from the basement. Eventually, she pulled away with a sigh, and Tommy stepped back, silently relenting.

Felicity reached into her purse, and rolled her eyes at the sheer volume of texts she’d received from one vigilante. “I want to stay, but…” She trailed off, waving her phone at Tommy as an explanation of its own.

He sighed. “Duty calls.”

Felicity hopped down from the counter, and leaned up to peck his smooth cheek. “Plus, I don’t think either of us want Oliver coming upstairs and seeing, well... You know.” She flushed, and gestured between the two of them, apparently unable to say the words “Making out and maybe grinding in the middle of your club” out loud.

At that, Tommy let out a slight laugh. “I can promise you, I’ve caught Oliver in _far_ more compromising positions than this.” The implication that Oliver had probably also caught Tommy in similar situations went unsaid.

He walked her all the way to the lair door. “Well, I don’t need him seeing that. I have to deal with him all day.” Felicity frowned, still pissed at Oliver for “promoting” her to his EA. Tommy had already heard her rant about it, twice, but still hummed sympathetically. “Plus, since we haven’t actually told him about us, there’s no need.” She turned to type in the passcode.

“You know,” Tommy leaned against the doorframe, propping up his arm and generally looking like he was modeling for a magazine. His button down pulled nicely against the muscles of his chest. “We could tell Ollie.” His words sounded casual, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in his voice.

Felicity froze, her hand still on the door handle. She heard the lock re-engage when she didn’t move to open it. “Uh.” She laughed, but it was a nervous, short lived noise. “Tell him? Oliver? About us?” Suddenly, she felt very open, exposed, standing there with nothing and no one around to use as a distraction.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. His blue eyes bore into hers. “You don’t want to tell him?” The look he was giving her was familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. Why did he look so... worried?

Her heart was thundering, and her palms began to sweat at the idea of telling Oliver that she was sleeping with his best friend. More than sleeping. Were they dating? They had never really had a discussion about what their relationship label was. Over the past few months, Felicity and Tommy’s conversations had shifted from “ _Are you up_?” and “ _My place?_ ” to “ _I’ve been waiting to watch this episode all week, are you on the way with the Chinese food?_ ”

“Not… Not yet.” Felicity hesitated, then decided to speak truthfully. “I haven’t even considered it yet. Things are still settling down, and I still want to punch him in the face half the time.” Tommy’s expression turned sad, and she stepped forward and placed a hand on his cheek. “We’ll talk tonight, okay?”

He nodded, still clearly disappointed. Felicity bit her lip, then typed in the code and disappeared down the metal stairs.

* * *

Her heels had barely hit the cement floor when Oliver was calling out for her, his gravelly voice laced with impatience. “Felicity.” He greeted her, drawing out every syllable of her name.

“Asshole.” She breezed past him and set her bag on the table. She looked up at Diggle, who was currently attempting the salmon ladder. He wasn’t having much luck, bless him, but he was trying. “Dig.” Her voice was considerably warmer greeting the other man, and she knew Oliver could tell.

“How many times do I have to apologize?” Oliver asked, coming around to stand behind her monitors so she had to look at him.

She glared. “Many. More. Times.”

He sighed. “I doubled your salary.” Admittedly, the added income had been nice, but not worth the blow to her dignity.

“Where’s my pay raise?” Diggle grunted as he dropped down from the salmon ladder. “I at least deserve hazard pay.”

Oliver threw up his hands, muttering something like “everybody’s a critic.” Felicity and Diggle shared a long-suffering stare while Oliver moped and suited up.

It wasn’t until their vigilante was out on his motorcycle and Diggle was re-stocking the fletching arrows that they spoke.

“So, what were you up to this afternoon?” Diggle’s voice was calm, but Felicity recognized danger ahead, and quickly slammed on the mute button for her Bluetooth. Not that Oliver was likely to listen to their conversation when he could drown in his own brooding, third-person thoughts.

“Nothing.” She said, her voice too high, her response too fast. “Just set up meetings for Mr. Queen.” She added, grimacing. That much was true. “How about you?”

Diggle snorted. “Waited around to drive ‘Mr. Queen’ here.” He replied, adopting her mocking use of Oliver’s name. “So funny, though. I could have sworn I saw your car in the parking lot when we pulled in.” Felicity flushed. What was he getting at? Diggle continued, eyes trained on the arrows. “Oliver might have noticed if I hadn’t pulled him into an argument about Starling City’s baseball team, and convinced him to come in through the alley door.” Finally, he looked up at her, unable to keep the mocking smile off his face. “Anything you want to share?”

Felicity pressed her hands to her hot cheeks and spun around in her chair. “Nope, no, definitely not.”

“Aw, come on!” Dig pressed, coming to stand in the spot Oliver had minutes before. “You owe me!”

As much as she was loath to admit it, he was right. If there was anyone she could trust with this (though it seemed he already knew), it was Diggle. “I may have gotten here early to say hi to Tommy.” She admitted, eyes trained on her keyboard. Felicity was sure her face was tomato-red at this point.

Dig clapped his hands together once in victory. “I knew it!” He leaned forward and Felicity met his happy expression with narrowed eyes. “So. How long have you been ‘saying hi’ to Tommy?”

Felicity leaned forward too. “None of your business.”

Oliver’s voice crackled through her earpiece, saving her from Diggle’s questioning, and Felicity switched on her microphone again. She mouthed “behave” to her friend, then turned to her screen and offered Oliver guidance to find their criminal of the night.

It wasn’t until they were trudging out of the lair well past midnight that Diggle caught her arm. “I want you to know that I’m happy for you. I mean, I’ll kill him if he hurts you. But you’re happy, so I’m happy.” He said in a quiet voice. She blinked once, taking a few seconds to understand his meaning.

When she did, Felicity smiled at him. “Thank you.” She said, and she meant it. She pondered Dig’s easy acceptance of her relationship as she drove through the quiet streets. As much as she tried to wave him off, John Diggle was one of her fiercest protectors. If he was unbothered by her relationship with Tommy, maybe Oliver’s reaction would be similar. Probably not, but she could dream.

When she got home, she was unsurprised to find Tommy asleep on her couch. Gone were his work clothes, instead replaced by the t-shirt and sweatpants he kept at her place. Despite the fact that his apartment was bigger, nicer, and in a far more convenient location than her own, for some reason, Tommy preferred Felicity’s little apartment to his own. When she asked why, he shrugged, and said “It feels like home.”

Watching him sleep, Felicity realized how _young_ he was. Sure, she was young too, but he wasn’t even thirty yet, and he already carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. The weight of every single life his father had taken. He deserved more peace than he allowed himself.

In addition to all of this, he was going to get a crick in his neck if he slept like that any longer.

Gently, she roused him, and they went through their nighttime routine together. He had a toothbrush here, too, and was half asleep even while he brushed his teeth. When they finally collapsed in bed, he automatically rolled over to throw an arm over her waist, and was asleep in moments. Felicity let him cling to her. She had never been a cuddler before Tommy, but he was incurable. He loved touching her, even if it was just a tap on the hand to get her attention, or a playful tug on her ponytail when he was teasing her. He was a tactile person.

It had been hard, those first few months after the Undertaking. Laurel had died, and Oliver had left. Tommy would look at her with wide, scared eyes, like he was afraid she was about to bolt, too. “I’m the son of a murderer.” He whispered one night, curled up with her in bed. She was holding him, this time. “I could have stopped him.”

“No.” Felicity’s voice was firm. “You are not responsible for what your father did. There was no way you could have known.” She wrapped her arms tighter around his middle. “You created the Laurel Lance Fund. You are the reason hundreds of displaced families even have housing right now.”

He shook his head. “It’s not enough.”

“It is. For now, it is.”

With a jolt, Felicity recognized, too late, the look Tommy had given her outside of the lair. It wasn’t sadness, or worry. It was the look of so many months ago. It was so rare these days, she had almost forgotten about it. The fear. Fear that she would leave him.

“Tommy.” She rolled over to shake his shoulder.

“Mmph.” He turned to bury his face in her pillow.

“Tommy, wake up, I have to tell you something.”

“Is it about food?” He grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. “No. But if you wake up, we can get brunch tomorrow.”

His lips quirked up, and then he opened his eyes, blinking up at her blearily. “What is so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

Felicity laid down her head so that she mirrored him, and waited until his eyes completely focused on her. “I want to be your girlfriend.”

Tommy’s expression turned to one of shock. “You- what?”

She pushed on. “I want to be your girlfriend. And I want to tell Oliver. And everyone, really.”

“You’re sure?” He was guarded, she knew, and it was all she could do not to roll her eyes at this ridiculous man.

“Yes, I’m sure. I like you. You have a toothbrush here, and keep me stocked on groceries and wine.” She paused. “Plus, you’ve seen me without makeup on. You know too much to leave now.”

His face broke into a wide, bright grin, and it was like looking at the sun. “Well, if those are the only prerequisites.” He leaned forward to give her a kiss, and she accepted it happily.

“So?”

“So what?”

“We’re dating? Officially?”

Tommy rolled on his back, still looking at her. “I thought we already were.”

Felicity shrugged. “We never really sat down and had the conversation about it.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t think we needed to. But I’m glad we did now. Wait,” He sat up, looking excited. “Does that mean we can tell Ollie?”

Felicity groaned, and flopped back onto her pillows. “Yes. But if he freaks out and runs away to Lian Yu again, you get to jump out of airplane this time.”

Tommy just laughed and resumed his previous position. “Deal. Goodnight, Smoaky.”

She snuggled up against him and attempted not to think of what Oliver’s reaction would be when they told him. “Night, Tommy.”

No matter what, she was sure it would be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you want to see Oliver's reaction to the happy couple! (Spoiler alert: He doesn't run away to Lian Yu)


	6. And Now All Your Love is Wasted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The earthquake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the alternate ending to season one. It's a pretty heavy one, but I promise some fluff after this.  
> 1\. Meet (Chapter 4)  
> 2\. Mint Chocolate Chip (Chapter 2)  
> 3\. Who am I Defending (Chapter 3)  
> 4\. Forget for a Moment (Chapter 1)  
> 5\. And Now All Your Love is Wasted (Chapter 6)  
> 6\. Tell the World (Chapter 5)

“Laurel!”

The world was falling apart, and Tommy was right in the middle of it all. The earthquake as worse than he could have imagined, and the most horrifying part of it all was Tommy could have stopped it. He could have stopped his father. He was too late.

Oliver had told him to go home, but he couldn’t. Laurel wasn’t picking up her cell phone, and he had only one guess as to where she was. A pit formed in his stomach as he raced to CNRI. He wasn’t going to make it in time. There was utter chaos and desolation on every street. Fires burned in multiple buildings, so it was almost a relief to see CNRI still standing, without the orange blaze of flames glowing in the windows. Plumes of dust poured out of the open double doors.

Tommy took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He had maybe a minute, tops, to get in and out. His phone rang. He answered instantly, not even checking the caller ID. “Laurel?” He asked, hoping against all hope she was calling him to tell him she had made it home safely.

“Tommy?” It was a woman’s voice, but it wasn’t Laurel.

“Felicity?”

“Tommy, where are you?” It was hard to hear her over the sound of buildings toppling like they were made of Jenga blocks.

Tommy ran up the steps and into the building, and immediately began to cough. Some of the smoke from the outside fires has infiltrated the building, and his visibility was poor at best. The inside was dark, and he could barely see more than a foot in front of him. He tripped over boxes and pieces of plaster. “I’m at CNRI.” He coughed again. “Have to help Laurel.” He tried to get to Laurel’s office by memory, leaning heavily against the wall for stability as the floor rumbled beneath him.

Felicity gasped in horror. “Tommy, no! That’s where the ground is the least stable. You have to get out of there, _now_.”

“You don’t understand, I have to help her!” If Laurel died, he would never stop holding himself accountable. If Laurel died, he knew a piece of Oliver would die with her, and he couldn’t let that happen. He and Laurel may have been done, but he still cared for her. He had to try to save her.

“You’ll die. You’re in danger!”

“And where are _you_?” He countered, grasping blindly at a doorframe. If he had guessed right, he had found Laurel’s office. 

The ground shook violently, and Felicity let out a noise that sounded like a whimper. “Verdant.” She whispered.

The pit in his stomach widened. “That’s barely better than here. You have to get out-“

“I’m saving lives too, Tommy!” She argued, and yelped at some unseen sight.

Then, a cry came from the dim room in front of him. “Help!”

“Laurel?” Tommy squinted. She was standing on the other side of the room. She seemed to want to run to the door, but the constant shower of bricks was preventing her from moving any closer. “Oh, god.”

She locked eyes with him and gasped. “Tommy!” Even through the smoke, he could see the fear on her face as she clutched a box in her hands.

“Laurel, you have to get over here. This building’s about to-“

There was a great rumble, and Laurel looked like she was about to run. She dropped the box, but paused in hesitation. That one moment pause was one moment too long.

The ceiling crashed down, taking Laurel down with it. Bricks and other debris rained down after. Tommy screamed her name, and ran forward. The edges of his vision darkened and time seemed to slow down as he ran to her side. A sharp pain emitted from his temple, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized something had hit him in the head. It didn’t matter. The only thing that did matter was saving her life. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest, and the only thing he felt was sheer, unmitigated terror.

Laurel was lying flat on her back, and there was a nasty, deep gash on her forehead. Her breathing was already shallow. Tommy dropped his cellphone to the floor, freeing both of his hands to try and lift the debris off of her, but it was too heavy. “Dammit!” He cried, and moved to the other side to try harder. It was too much, but he tried anyway. His muscles screamed, and his eyes watered, but he wasn’t going to give up.

“Tommy.” Laurel’s words were barely above a whisper. “It’s okay.” 

“No, it’s not okay.” He cried, though he wasn’t sure if it was sadness or pain. “I’m getting you out of this.” His fingers scrambled for a better hold, but they were slick with either blood or sweat or both.

Her dark eyes were tense with her own pain. “It’s too late. I can feel-“ She cried out as another brick fell. “It's too late.”

Tommy wasn’t going to give up. And he might have even succeeded, had the ground not given another shudder, and had the filing cabinet not collapsed on top of him.

But collapse it did, and Tommy was knocked to the ground on his stomach, next to Laurel. For a moment, his breath was knocked out of him, and all he could think was _oof_. Then, he felt the pain. Searing pain in his left leg, hip, and up the side of his body. He had failed.

Laurel looked at him, despair painting every plane of her face. His eyes slid from Laurel’s to the dark object between them. His phone. Felicity.

“F-“ He coughed. “Felicity.” His arm was free, and he reached out, summoning all of his strength to pull his phone, to pull _her_ closer. Tommy knew, with complete certainty, that he was about to die.

“-Coming. Oliver is almost there!” Felicity’s words sounded garbled, like she was crying even as she spoke. “Just hang on.”

“Crushed. Both.” He managed. The pain was almost unbearable, and he was shocked he could form words. Every shudder of the ground was a new, fresh hell and he cried out as the file cabinet shook on top of him, deepening the pain in his already broken body.

“God. Oh, god. Tommy.” He looked up from the phone to Laurel again. Laurel, who looked beautiful as ever, even with blood and soot smearing her face. Laurel, who was staring at him, tears streaming freely down her face in the flickering, orange light. He was crying too, but it hurt too much to even sob properly, so he just drew in a jagged breath, and turned back to his phone. To Felicity. He could feel his strength fading. “I think I might have loved you, if we had the time.”

His eyes slid closed, so he couldn’t have said who the choked gasp came from. He coughed, his poor lungs trying to expel the thick smoke as he took in another shuddering breath.

“Tommy.” Felicity’s voice. She was crying, too. He was happy she couldn’t see him right now. He wondered if she was safe. He tried to open his lips, to tell her to get out of the Glades, but the words couldn’t come. More tears slid down his face, because he was suddenly very, very afraid.

“You don’t get to die on me. That’s not fair.”

That made him want to laugh. Even her voice was starting to fade, and he tried to hold on to it, hold on to her, for even another moment. She spoke again, but the sound was faint in his ears. “Please. Please, fight. Fight for me, I… I...”

Felicity. Felicity with her blonde hair, and glasses, and pajama pants with cupcakes on them. Dimly, in the back of his mind, he remembered that they had never finished that season of the baking show they'd been watching. They had been saving it for this weekend.

"Tommy!"

There was a loud bang, and things went dark. 

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the noise. It was beeping, and yelling, and squeaky shoes. If this was hell, Tommy thought, it didn’t live up to the hype his preacher had given it. Instead of hot, he was cold.

Also, everything hurt, but at least that was appropriate for hell. If only he could find his eyelids. Open them, to see if it was fire and brimstone, or some other scene Dante couldn’t have predicted.

Before he found his eyelids, though, his fingers flexed, brushing against the blankets. He realized he was lying in a bed. Huh.

His left hand felt cold, but his right was warm.

Finally, _finally_ , Tommy was able to summon the strength to open his eyes. It took a while for his brain to catch up to the scene in front of him.

Tommy was in a hospital, which explained the beeping, and the shoes, and the noise. He tried to remember why on Earth he was in the hospital.

Tommy’s right hand was warm because someone was holding it. A girl with glasses and frizzy blonde hair, resting her head on his mattress, sound asleep. Felicity. He definitely wasn’t dead, then. There was no way Felicity would be in hell.

He tried to sit up, still incredibly disoriented. Merely shifting his leg, however, sent sharp jolts of pain through his body, and he gasped.

Felicity stirred, and then sat bolt upright as she saw his open eyes. “Tommy?” She gripped his hand tighter. Her eyes were alert, and they darted all over his face, checking for… something.

“Felicity.” He sighed. She looked fine, but there were deep circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept for a week. Her clothes and hair were in a similar state. Instead of a colorful cardigan, or dress, she was in a grey MIT sweatshirt and yoga pants. She wasn't beautiful under the fluorescent lighting, but he drank in the sight of her. “You’re okay.”

She nodded, and frowned at him. “Unlike you.” She shook her head, and pressed a hand to his cheek. “Oliver barely got you out in time.”

It was like she had flipped a switch, and everything came rushing back to him. The earthquake. CRNI. Laurel.

“Laurel.” He croaked, and Felicity’s already sad face fell even further. She shook her head, and it was like the world dropped out from under him. Tears welled up in his eyes and he curled up his left hand in a fist and pounded it against the mattress, because he couldn’t do anything else. He killed Laurel. He couldn’t save her, and he killed her. He cursed and thumped his head on the pillow, then winced. More pain. Pain everywhere.

Felicity’s eyes were brimming with tears, too. “There was nothing that could be done. There were three hundred pounds of bricks on top of her. But Tommy,” Felicity squeezed his hand tightly, forcing him to look at her. “She didn’t die alone.” She said each word slowly, and with force. “You were with her. You _never_ left her.”

“She’s dead.” He sobbed, even though each sob that wracked his body just made his pain worse. Good. He wanted to suffer. The pain was raw, and real, and he felt more broken than he did lying in that collapsing building.

It was a long time before he calmed down enough to take a normal, deep breath. Felicity didn’t leave his side. Instead, she held his hand and let him cry, and cried with him.

“How long?” He asked, throat raw.

“Four days.” She responded, and handed him a tissue. He swiped at his eyes, and under his nose. “You survived, but barely. You have a concussion, broken ribs, a fractured hip, and your left leg is broken in two places.”

That explained why his everything hurt. “Oh, is that all?” He tried for levity, but his tone was still so sad, defeated. The only thing keeping him from sinking into oblivion was the woman holding on to him, keeping him afloat. “Ollie?”

Felicity pressed her lips together. “He lived, too. He’s been digging people out. I don’t think he’s doing well, though. He blames the earthquake on himself.”

Tommy scowled. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I could have stopped my father, I should have _known_ -“

“Stop it.” Felicity ordered, her words angry. He drew back in surprise. Felicity never had used that tone before. “It was Malcom’s fault, and every monster who conspired with him. You could never have guessed that he would do this.” Her blue eyes bore into his, imploring him to understand. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

He wanted to argue with her, explain everything, but he was so, so tired still. He shifted under the blanket, and winced as his hip twinged.

“Do you want me to call the nurse? I’m so sorry, I should have called one as soon as you woke up. I’m so, so sorry Tommy. I-”

“Felicity.” He cut off her babble. “I don’t need the nurse.”

She had already pressed the button. “After four days in a coma, you don't get to argue. I’m calling the nurse.”

A man in blue scrubs entered the room, and smiled tensely upon seeing Tommy. “Mr. Merlyn, I see you’re awake.” He commented, referring to the clipboard in his hand. “You gave us quite the scare, coming in the way you did.” He looked up at Felicity. “Your girlfriend hasn’t left your side since you came out of surgery.”

 _What?_ Tommy turned to gape at Felicity as she scrambled for words, something to the tune of “I’m not his girlfriend,” but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

The nurse started telling him about the seriousness of each of his injuries and next steps, but Tommy’s eyelids grew heavier with each word, and the man stopped. “You should get some more sleep. I’m shocked you woke up at all, today.”

“Always been an overachiever.” Tommy mumbled, and the nurse smiled again, a little less tight this time.

“We’ll talk more later.” He nodded at Tommy, and then Felicity before exiting.

There was a very confusing swirl of emotion churning in his chest as he looked at Felicity, reappraising her rumpled appearance. “Was he serious?” He asked, and she turned to look at him, cheeks still flushed.

“Yeah. It might be four to six weeks, but we’ll get you a walker once you heal up.”

He furrowed his brow. “Huh?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did you listen to anything the nurse just said?”

“Uh. Not all of it.” He tapped his uninjured temple. “Concussion brain. But, I meant. Have you been here the whole time?”

Felicity bit her lip. “Not really. They had to threaten to arrest me when they took you into surgery, and I couldn’t follow.” She shook her head. “You were in there for a while before they moved you. They almost didn't let me in to see you, but I used my loud voice and scared the poor girl at the desk. I got here…” She checked her phone. “36 hours ago.”

“ _Felicity_.” All of the breath whooshed out of Tommy. He was stunned. He was the son of a murderer. How could she still want anything to do with him? Didn’t she have anything more pressing?

Felicity’s blue eyes were serious. “Do you remember what I said to you on the phone that night?”

He scrunched his eyebrows together. He remembered what _he_ said. But what had Felicity said? “You… you asked me to fight, I think.”

She nodded. “I asked you to fight for me. You did. So, I wasn’t about to leave you alone.”

He nodded. “Thank you.” He whispered, his eyes finally sliding shut. Before they could fully close, they shot open. “Will you-“

The bed shifted, and Felicity pressed a light kiss to his forehead. “I won’t leave.” She promised. “Sleep.” The fingers of her free hand carded gently though his hair, avoiding his injury. He allowed his eyes to slide shut, feeling safe with her next to him. He drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this count as hurt/comfort? I'm not the best at writing angst, so I hope this was alright!  
> At first, I wasn't sure if it made sense for this Tommy to try and save Laurel, but they were lifelong friends, and Tommy is stupidly noble. Of course he would do something like this.  
> And by popular demand, I will be writing the "Oliver finds out" scene soon. Felicity calls him an idiot a lot. It's great.


	7. I Can't Keep This Smile off my Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Proofreading a chapter before posting? It's less likely than you think.  
> 1\. Meet (Chapter 4)  
> 2\. Mint Chocolate Chip (Chapter 2)  
> 3\. Who am I Defending (Chapter 3)  
> 4\. Forget for a Moment (Chapter 1)  
> 5\. And Now All Your Love is Wasted (Chapter 6)  
> 6\. Tell the World (Chapter 5)  
> 7\. I Can't Keep This Smile Off my Face (Chapter 7)  
> This picks up pretty much right after Tell the World.

Tommy spent every night of the next week at Felicity’s apartment. On the weekend, when he worked late, she didn’t wait up for him, and only barely registered when he slipped into bed at 3 am to press a kiss to her cheek before settling in behind her. They fell into a comfortable rhythm, and Felicity fell for him a bit more every day. It was more than a little scary.

It helped that they weren’t sneaking around anymore. Instead, Felicity would drag Tommy with her to the farmer’s market on weekends in broad daylight, and Tommy would convince her to dance with him in Verdant before she went down to the lair. She’d never been clubbing before- she had always been too young, or too alone, or too worried about being lost in the sea of bodies. Tommy was a grounding presence. She danced and twirled and sang along to the songs, and felt entirely safe in the crowd because there he was, pressed flush against her back, a steady hand on her hip.

Plus, Oliver’s glower when she ran down the steps sweaty and out of breath was worth it. But somehow, he didn't pick up on the fact that she and Tommy were a couple. Originally, they had decided to just let him figure it out, but after a couple of weeks, he hadn't picked up on any of their hints, and Felicity was done with his thickheadedness.

Felicity had convinced Tommy to let her treat him to Big Belly Burger on Friday. (“I know you’re a millionaire, but I think I can swing $20 for burgers and milkshakes.” “Billionaire.” “Do you want burgers or not?”)

She had taken great pleasure in glaring at Oliver for most of the day (the only benefit of glass walls). Finally, at the end of the day, he came out of the office and gave her the most forlorn look he could muster. “Can I at least buy you dinner?” He asked.

“Normally, I would say yes and make you buy me, like, all the desserts.” Felicity said, hardly sparing him a glance as she continued typing. “But I’m taking my boyfriend out for dinner tonight.”

This time, she did look up to see Oliver do a double take. “You have a boyfriend?” He asked incredulously.

Felicity leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. “The tone of surprise is really flattering, Oliver.”

“No- I just. I mean, I didn’t-“

Oliver’s stammering was cut off by the chime of the elevator, and both of them turned to see Tommy step off, trademark grin already stretched across his face.

“Hey, Tommy, what’s up?” Oliver stood to greet his friend, clearly expecting Tommy to have come up to see him. “Did we have a meeting?” He cut his eyes to Felicity, who subtly gave him the middle finger. Oliver frowned.

Tommy patted Oliver’s shoulder as he walked past him. “Nope. Just here to pick up someone who owes me a burger.” He held his hand out to Felicity, and beamed when she interlaced their fingers.

“You ready to go?” He asked, and hearing his voice was like a breath of fresh air.

“God, yes.” She locked her computer and reached for her bag. “I have half a mind to ask Carly to spike my milkshake. You know they can do that now, right?” She turned back to her boss. “See you tomorrow, Mr. Queen.” She said, weaving as much ice and sarcasm into her voice as possible.

Oliver stared after them, mouth agape as they made their way to the elevator. Felicity was pretty proud that they managed to wait for the elevator doors slide closed before they burst into laughter. “Did you see his face?” She wheezed, gripping Tommy’s arm for support.

“Like someone smacked him in the face with a wet fish.” Tommy agreed. “Not that I have- I mean, not that anyone’s ever done that to him. Ever. That would be ridiculous.” Which just made Felicity burst into laughter again.

It wasn’t until they were out of the building that they had finally calmed down, and Felicity finally took in what Tommy was wearing. Instead of his usual suit jacket/pants combo, he was dressed in dark jeans, and white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off the planes of his toned forearms. Felicity took a moment to remind herself that they were in public, and trying to jump him in the middle of the plaza would not end well.

Tommy, for his part, couldn’t stop smiling every time their eyes met, which made Felicity’s lips quirk upward. She’d never been this enamored of anyone before, not even Cooper, and some tiny part of her kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When would he see her for everything she _wasn’t_? When would he leave her? Experience had led her to believe that the only thing the men in her life were capable of doing was leaving.

Tommy squeezed her hand, as if he could sense her dark thoughts, and Felicity managed to pull herself back to the present. Today, she was taking her boyfriend to get burgers and milkshakes. They had just told his best friend they were in a relationship. Maybe, just maybe, this time, there was no “other shoe”. Maybe this time she was allowed to be happy.

They arrived at the diner at the very beginning of the dinner rush, but Carly managed to get them a table almost immediately after they walked in, and Felicity collapsed gratefully in her chair.

Tommy was looking at the laminated menu with great interest. “For a burger place, this menu has a lot of options.”

Felicity smirked. “My advice? Don’t order anything that isn’t a burger, fries, or milkshake.”

He raised a curious eyebrow at her. “Why not?”

She matched his expression. “Do you go to a seafood restaurant for steak?”

“Fair enough.”

When Carly returned, Felicity introduced her to Tommy. Tommy half expected the woman to treat him with hostility and distrust- almost everyone in Starling did- but instead, she greeted him like they were old friends, and slyly mentioned that Felicity had told her a lot about him. Felicity flushed red, wondering if it was too late to make a run for it.

Eventually, Carly did take their order. Felicity rattled off what she wanted, and when the waitress turned to take Tommy’s order, he just waved his hand and said he’d have the same as his girlfriend. “She doesn’t trust me to make my own order.” He stage-whispered to the woman who was quickly becoming his new best friend.

“That is not what I said!” Felicity argued, but Carly was already laughing as she moved on to the next table.

Tommy just gave her his usual, get-out-of-jail-free grin. Felicity crossed her arms. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to build up an immunity to your smile, and then what will you do?”

Her boyfriend tilted his head and lowered his voice. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

For the second time that afternoon, Felicity felt the heat rush to her cheeks, and she quickly turned the conversation towards a far more innocent subject. Soon enough, Carly plunked two red baskets in front of them, and Felicity breathed in the scent of a fresh-off-the-grill burger and greasy, salty, glorious fries. The bun was a little smushed, and the ketchup was already dripping off of the sides of the patty. It was a beautiful sight.

Tommy gave her a skeptical look. “And these are the best burgers in Starling?”

She nodded seriously. “And probably on the entire West Coast.”

Felicity watched intently as Tommy took the first bite of his burger. She laughed as his eyes widened, and he looked down at the burger in his hands, cheeks still half full with food. “What the hell…?”

“I told you.” She replied, taking a bite of her own burger as she did so.

“Food is not supposed to be this delicious. It’s not scientifically possible.” Tommy continued once he had swallowed. “It’s just a burger but it’s. It’s…”

“Heavenly?”

“I see why this place is called Big Belly Burger. I could eat only this for the rest of my life and could die happy.”

“Just wait until you try the fries.”

“Oh my god.”

They laughed and chatted through their meal, and for a moment, Felicity could believe they were just a normal couple having a normal dinner. There were no lives to be saved, no super villains to be stopped.

Eventually, though, dinner had to end. Felicity paid the bill, and Tommy promised they would be coming again. She pretended not to see the large tip for Carly that Tommy left on top of her own. Carly had poured their milkshakes in travel cups, and it was with great pleasure that Felicity took hers with her as they walked out.

They walked hand in hand to Verdant, and Felicity watched the sun sink below the skyscrapers of the city. It was dark by the time they reached the back alley. “You know, when I learned about “the second shift” in school, this was not what I was expecting.” Felicity commented as she lingered outside the lair door.

Tommy laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Come on, you know you love this stuff.”

“You’re right, I do love it! It’s my other job that I hate.”

Tommy shook his head, smiling down fondly at her. “I adore you."

Felicity beamed back at him. "I know." 

Whenever Tommy kissed her, it was like he was trying to give a part of himself away. He kissed with is whole body, his whole heart, and she could feel it, as cliché as it sounded. Kissing Tommy was like how it felt to come home after a long time away. He was comfort, and relief. It was kisses like this that made her hope that he was something, some _one_ she could rely on.

It was with regret that they parted, and he tapped her gently on the nose before stepping aside so she could head down into the lair. “Go save the world, Smoaky.”

She grinned at him. “Go get those twenty-somethings drunk, Merlyn.”

He winked.

The lair was empty when Felicity walked in, but she knew Oliver wouldn’t be far behind. She sat down in her chair and booted up her monitors, and began pulling up research on their baddie-of-the week and fired up the tracker on Oliver’s suit.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, she heard the door bang open, and two sets of boots clomping down the metal stairs.

“Hey, guys.” Felicity greeted them, spinning around in her chair to greet the guys. She was not disappointed by what she saw. Oliver looked tormented. Diggle looked gleeful. Felicity bit back a grin of her own. “I have everything set up for you to head out as soon as you’re ready.” She said to Oliver, addressing him as if it was business as usual.

“Felicity.” Oliver didn’t reach for his suit. Diggle hoisted himself up to sit on one of their chrome tables and looked like someone who desperately wished he had popcorn as he watched the scene play out in front of him.

“Hmm?” Felicity sipped placidly on her milkshake.

He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, the way she noticed him do only when he was truly anxious. “Why didn’t you tell… How long… You’re dating Tommy?”

Felicity took her time to finish her drink, enjoying the way Oliver squirmed in the silence. “One: I didn’t tell you because I’m pissed at you for twenty-five hours of the day. And I believe we did tell you. Today. Two: It’s been a few months now. Three: yes I’m dating Tommy. Now, are you going to suit up or not?”

“But…” Oliver looked to Diggle for support, but his bodyguard just shrugged at him.

“I’ve known for a couple of weeks, man.”

Oliver’s jaw dropped. Felicity leaned forward to pat him on the forearm. “You’re an idiot, but it’s not your fault that you didn’t notice. Well. Maybe a little. Now I need you to take off your shirt.”

Oliver was so stunned he didn’t even wince at Felicity’s innuendo. He got dressed almost mechanically, the whole time starting sentences, and then stopping before they were fully formed. It was as though his brain had short circuited, and Felicity was loving every minute of it.

It was only after he finished putting the grease paint over his eyes that he formed a full sentence. “I’m okay with it, you know. You and Tommy.”

Felicity gave him a gentle smile. “We don’t need your blessing. But I appreciate it all the same.”

Oliver gave her a jerky nod, and then ran up the stairs and out into the misty streets. Only then did Diggle let out the laugh he had been holding in since they had walked in, and Felicity joined him. This time, she didn’t turn off the Bluetooth.

That night, or rather, early the next morning, when Tommy tumbled into her bed, Felicity rolled over to curl against his chest with a contented sigh.

“Hey,” Tommy whispered. Felicity groaned, and felt his chest shake with a quiet laugh. “So, the vigilante cornered me tonight outside the club.”

That made Felicity’s eyes snap open. She leaned back, and her hands immediately flew to his face and his arms, checking for injuries. “What? Why?” Why was her boss insane?

Tommy caught her wrists in a loose grasp. “I’m fine, not a scratch on me. He just threatened me and my livelihood if I ever hurt "his girl Wednesday". Not sure he knew what he was referencing, but he seemed serious.”

Felicity blew out a sigh, the tension leaving her body as quickly as it had entered. “He’s an idiot.”

Tommy gathered her up in his arms and dropped a kiss on top of her head, as he so often did. “Yeah, but he’s our idiot.”

Felicity grinned. That he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, this is one of three scenarios I had for the "Oliver finding out" scenes rolling around in my head. This one will be in the canon for this story, but I'll probably post the other two just for giggles.  
> Also, I have another post-Earthquake chapter coming up, detailing Tommy's mental and physical struggles in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. It's, uh. It's rough. :)  
> Happy early Thanksgiving to those who celebrate, and as always, I hope you're all staying safe <3


	8. Set Your Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first night of Hanukkah, and the universe has more than one surprise in store for Felicity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I stole this first scene from season 3, but that is because I'm the biggest Donna fan in the world. Also, I figured since it is currently Hanukkah, we would celebrate with Felicity & Co. I was planning on covering most of the week, but. 3k words later and we only finished the first night.  
> Enjoy!

When Felicity told Tommy that she wanted to tell the world that they were together, she meant it. Tommy was worried that they would face opposition from the public of Starling City, but Felicity didn’t care. The people who mattered to her knew he was a good man. Also, the Laurel Lance Fund had a small postscript on its website thanking Thomas Merlyn for founding and funding its operations, that hadn’t gone unnoticed. Most of the death threats against him had stopped. Mostly.

So Felicity was fine with the world knowing about her and Tommy. She just forgot that the world included her mother.

Felicity loved her mother. So much. Donna Smoak was the reason Felicity was who she was. Her mom worked double shifts almost every night of Felicity’s childhood to make sure her genius kid went far in life, and Felicity was eternally grateful. That being said, Donna was almost _too_ invested in her daughter’s love life at times, so Felicity made it a habit of being cagey about her love life- or lack thereof. So when she and Tommy made it official, she kind of… forgot to tell her mom about that when they were discussing holiday plans.

Hanukah was coming up, but since it started before Christmas, Felicity couldn’t get enough days off to go to Vegas and see Donna for the eight nights. Even though she had the ability to hold her boss at knifepoint and threaten him without getting fired (Felicity, that is, though Donna offered to do the same), her second job was getting busy with trying to take down The Count and his new strain of Vertigo. It was with regret that they agreed to light their respective menorahs over Skype. Felicity even found a bakery nearby that served sufganiyot. It was fine.

Despite her protests, Tommy wanted to celebrate Hanukah with her. She had even found him on his laptop one day, studying the meaning of the candles and taking notes on various rituals. Felicity’s chest felt tight with an unfamiliar feeling when he sat next to her and asked her all about her and her mom’s traditions. She told him about how they tried and failed to make latkes every year, and always ended up ordering take out at least four of the eight nights.

“What do you eat for the other nights?” Tommy asked, genuinely curious.

Felicity reached out to clasp the hand that wasn’t holding a pen, laughing a little at his earnest attitude. “Kugel. It’s a kind of noodle casserole? It’s sweet-“

“Sweet noodles?”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. It’s the only thing I can make without burning the house down; Mostly because it requires minimum cooking skills.”

Tommy’s eyebrows shot up. “Felicity Smoak? Cooking? This is something I have to see.”

Felicity laughed and smacked his arm. “You know, I did survive before you came along.”

“How, we will never know.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

And. Well. Not a lot got done after _that_ invitation.

* * *

It was Tuesday morning, and Tommy was still sound asleep after getting in at 2:00. Felicity, however, had to get up and get her ass to work by eight. It was with half-lidded eyes that she shuffled into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Toothbrush still in her mouth, she then stumbled into the kitchen to turn on the coffee machine. Tommy had complained about the old thing- it was temperamental and noisy and, in his opinion, too slow, but Felicity couldn’t be bothered to buy a new one. It did its job, which was providing caffeine. Judging by the look Tommy gave the thing every morning, Felicity had a sneaking suspicion that he was plotting to make this one of her Hanukah presents.

The knock on her door was enough to jolt her awake. She swung open the door, not even bothering to look through the peephole, which was why she was very surprised at getting an armful of Donna Smoak at 6:30 in the morning.

“Mom?”

“Baby!” Her mom had a surprisingly stronger hug than Felicity remembered.

“Can’t. Breathe.” She choked out. She yanked her toothbrush out of her mouth before it could get caught in her mom’s hair.

Donna was dressed like it was a big night on the high roller’s floor. High heels, tight sequined dress, and full makeup. Felicity still had yesterday’s mascara on her cheeks. Her mom’s smile was wide and bright and she was entirely too awake for Felicity to handle.

“What are you doing here?” She tried to sound pleasantly surprised and not as uncomfortably shocked as she felt.

“I’m here to see you!” Donna replied, infusing an unspoken “duh” into her tone. “One of the girls offered to switch shifts with me- she wanted a few days around Christmas off, and it all worked out so perfectly! Didn’t you get my text?” She held up her phone to Felicity’s still-bleary eyes.

She squinted at the screen. “Mom, you have to actually hit send for me to see the message.”

“Oh.” Donna frowned at her phone, and then hit the send button. Felicity rolled her eyes as her phone pinged from her room, and backed up to let her mom fully inside. “I love what you’ve done with the place. Looks so much better now that I’m not seeing it through the Skype.”

Felicity nodded, and held up a finger while she wandered back to the bathroom to put down her toothbrush. She was going to need a lot more coffee. Maybe she _would_ let Tommy buy her a new-

Oh _shit._

Felicity looked between where her mom was inspecting Felicity’s living room to her half-open bedroom door where her billionaire boyfriend was sleeping. In her bed.

Frack.

“Uh, mom? The bathroom’s over here, and you know where the guest bedroom is. I just need a minute to change, and then we can catch up.”

“Alright, take your time, sweetheart!” Donna’s voice trilled back.

Felicity closed her bedroom door and leaned against it, blowing out a shaky sigh before she turned to look at Tommy’s still sleeping form. Her eyes darted to the clock. 6:40. He could probably wake up enough to climb out her window and down the fire escape. Donna would never be the wiser, and Felicity wouldn’t have to face down an inquisition.

Except. She had told him she wanted to tell everyone. Everyone included her mom. Double frack.

She still needed to wake him up. “Tommy.” She whispered, shaking his shoulder. He grumbled and shoved his head under her pillow. Felicity suppressed a smile. “Tommy,” She tried again. No response.

“I guess I’ll go get brunch without you.” She fake sighed. “At Benny’s, no less.”

“You’re a monster.” Came the muffled reply, but she smiled when he sat up. His hair was sticking up in every direction, and his stubble was prominent. Basically, he looked worse than she did, and yet, still unfairly beautiful. He spared a glance at the clock. “Now I know you’re fucking with me. You have work in like an hour.”

“That I do, but we have a situation.”

He sobered instantly, his blue eyes sharp and alert. “Like a Hood situation or-?“

“Like a ‘my mother situation. Like, my mother dropped in unannounced and is sitting in the living room’ situation.” She kept her voice to a whisper, and hoped he would keep his voice down, too.

Tommy’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh. And this is an issue because…?”

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s not really that much of an issue. I mean it kind of is. I forgot to tell her we were dating.”

“Wait, what?”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” She rushed to explain her reasoning before the look of hurt on his face could become more profound.

After she was done, he hummed, leaning back on his elbows. “And she doesn’t read the tabloids?”

Right. The tabloids that kept trying to get pictures of her that weren’t about the kid genius at MIT 5 years ago with black hair and purple lipstick. She was kind of hard to recognize at this point. She knew what they all said: _Former IT girl, now excusive assistant. Not Sleeping with Her Boss, But Sleeping with His Friend? Read more on page 5._

Tommy shrugged. “You should just tell her.”

Felicity glanced at the clock and let out a frustrated growl. “If I’m going out there, you’re coming with me.” She said over her shoulder as she shimmied out of her pajamas and pulled on a cobalt blue dress. “Zip please.”

Tommy did as he was told. “Moms love me.”

“Oh, mine will too. Once she gets over the fact that I didn’t tell her I’m dating a billionaire.”

“Actually, I’m just a lowly multimillionaire.” He let out a faux disappointed sigh. Felicity rolled her eyes.

“Get dressed, I’m not doing this alone.”

Her boyfriend grinned at her. “Yes ma’am.”

“Felicity? Are you talking to someone?”

Her heart stopped at the sound of her mom’s voice. “Uh.” She sent a panicked look to Tommy, who just shrugged and dug around for his shirt. “Yes?”

“Oh, is this a bad time? Did I interrupt any- You know, I saw the cutest little café on my way over here, I’ll just go get us two lattes and-“

This was it. This was her out. She could tell her mom she had a one night stand with some random guy and let that be the end of the conversation. But she didn’t want that, inquisition be damned. “No, mom, just. Wait there for one more minute.”

She tossed Tommy his jeans and tried in vain to fix his hair while he buttoned his shirt.

“Ready?” He winked at her.

“No.”

She opened the door and saw Donna faking interest in one of the prints on the wall. Her eyes lit up when they landed on Felicity. “Hey, honey, and who-?” The question died on her lips as her eyes caught on one of the most famous men in Starling City.

Even with four hours of sleep and a serious case of bedhead, Tommy was devastatingly handsome. “Ms. Smoak, hi. I’m Tommy Merlyn.”

“Yes you are.” Donna agreed, shaking his hand while sending Felicity the wide-eyed _I have so many questions for you, young lady_ stare she expected.

“Coffee.” Was all Felicity could say. Why was she going through this without coffee?

She poured three mugs and didn’t miss the dirty look Tommy threw at her poor coffee maker as he and Donna entered the kitchen.

“So, Mom.” She started, looking between Donna and Tommy. “I have a boyfriend.”

“You don’t say.” Her mom’s voice, while sarcastic, wasn’t mean.

“I’m the boyfriend.” Tommy piped up unhelpfully. Felicity shot him a glare, and he ducked his head into her refrigerator as he rummaged around for… something.

“Thanks for that clarification.” She said dryly.

“Always here to help!” Came the reply from the refrigerator.

Felicity bit her lip, and looked up at her mom. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner-“ But her mom cut her off with a wave of her hand.

“You’re entitled to your privacy, baby. I just wish you had told me you had company. I’m not dressed to meet a billionaire.” Donna pressed a hand against her sequined thigh like the material offended her.

“Just a multi-millionaire.” Tommy corrected her, standing up with his hands full of the produce they bought at the farmer’s market that weekend. It was one of Felicity’s favorite places to go with him. “Omelets?”

“I really have to go.” Felicity looked at her watch and swore. “As in, in the next three minutes.” She began transferring her coffee to a travel mug.

Tommy shrugged and continued pulling out a frying pan. “No worries. I’ll hang out with your mom.”

Felicity gaped at him, but Donna was already making herself comfortable on a barstool. “I love watching a man to cook for me. We’ll be fine, sweetheart.” She wanted to argue. She didn’t want to leave Tommy alone with her mom, but also she really needed to get to work. He sent her a reassuring smile. Donna sighed. “I promise I’ll only tell him a few embarrassing stories about you when you were little.”

Tommy pressed a kiss on her forehead and steered her towards the door. “Don’t worry about me. Moms love me.”

Felicity sighed. “Mine will love you too. But don’t be surprised if she gives you the Spanish Inquisition.”

He beamed. “I’m ready for it. Have a good day at work. I love you.”

She couldn’t help but reflect his expression. “I love you too.”

It wasn’t until she was halfway to work that she realized that was the first time he had said he loved her.

And she had said it back without the slightest hesitation. Like they said it every day.

Huh.

* * *

She really shouldn’t have worried about her mom and Tommy. She got home, expecting awkward silence and a missing boyfriend, despite his multiple text assurances throughout the day. Instead, she came home to the sound of laughter and something that smelled so good, she could hardly believe it was coming from her kitchen.

“Honey!” Donna called from the kitchen. She had changed into a sweater and jeans. She was holding a plate in her hand. “Try these, they are to die for.”

Felicity dropped her bag by the door and approached cautiously. “What are they?”

“Latkes!”

“Did you-?”

“I did not.” Donna sent a surreptitious look back towards the kitchen. “Tommy did, so they are safe to eat.” She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Between you and me, you should lock him down soon.” She winked at her daughter and left Felicity standing in her kitchen with a latke in hand and an astonished expression on her face.

She and Tommy had just said they loved each other for the first time that day. They weren’t anywhere _near_ -

“Hey.” The boyfriend in question came up behind her to wrap his arms around her stomach, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “How was work?”

She relaxed into Tommy’s embrace, and turned to face him. “The usual. Oliver’s barely keeping his head above water, and I ran circles around the investors all day.”

Tommy gave her a sympathetic smile. “Someday, you’re going to be able to dazzle them with your brilliance. Then they’ll be lining up to invest with _you_.”

Felicity sighed. “I can dream.” She bit into her latke. “Holy cow, Tommy, these are _amazing_.”

His face lit up with happiness. “Really? I found a few recipes online and just kind of combined them, and got some advice from your mom.”

“God, I want to marry these.” She said, polishing off the one in her hand.

“If that’s the case, you just ate your husband.”

“Is that an innuendo?”

“It can be.”

Felicity wrinkled her nose. “Leave the unfortunate sexual innuendos to me, babe. You get to keep all the cooking skills in this relationship.”

He chuckled and followed her into the living room. “I can live with that.”

Donna was seated on the floor in front of the coffee table, sorting through Felicity’s candles. Tommy was thrilled to be brought into the conversation as they set up the menorah. At sundown, Donna lit the Shamash candle, recited the blessing, and then lit the first candle. Felicity leaned her head on her mom’s shoulder, and they all stood together for a while, watching the flames burn.

“I’m happy you’re here.” Felicity said. She wrapped an arm around Donna’s shoulder, but smiled at Tommy to let him know that her words were directed at both of them.

Donna returned her daughter’s side hug. “I’m happy to be here, baby girl. I miss you.” She raised her head to look at Tommy, still standing on Felicity’s other side. “I’m glad that I got to meet your handsome boyfriend, too.”

Tommy seemed to glow at the compliment, and Felicity huffed out a laugh. “Alright, don’t inflate his ego any more than it already is. His head will get too big to fit through the door.” She extracted herself from her mother’s arm to turn back to the living room and dig out the dreidels she had brought from home years ago.

“That’s fine by me.” Donna replied easily. “He can stay and make us food forever.”

Tommy laughed. “That’s a tall order, but I think I can handle it.”

“Mom, do we have chocolates this year?”

Donna scoffed and pulled a bag out of her purse. “It’s like you don’t even know me.”

Tommy sat down on the couch, looking excited. “I’ve always wanted to play dreidel.”

Surprised, Felicity gave him a look. “You have?” She wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to go all in on all of this- the food, the rituals, the games- just to impress her mom. Donna was already completely enamored by him.

He nodded, completely serious. “I really have.” He looked at the bag of chocolate gelt Donna set on the table. “The candy just makes it better.”

Felicity allowed herself a smile at that. “Prepare to get destroyed.”

He gave her a soft look. “I think I can handle that, too.”

Despite her initial reservations, Felicity had to admit, that night had gone off without a hitch. Eventually, after many chocolate coins were won, lost, and consumed, Donna had to call it a night, and left the couple curled up on the couch.

Felicity was feeling fairly sleepy as well, and wasn’t far behind. But she didn’t want to go to bed without addressing what she felt like was the elephant in the room.

She was curled into his side, tracing her fingers over his palm when she finally spoke. “So.”

She felt his chest rumble when he replied, echoing her casual tone. “So.”

“This morning…” She felt the sharp intake of breath from where she was leaned against him. “Did… Did you mean it?”

The three heartbeats that passed before he moved seemed to be an eternity. Her words hung in the empty air in front of them, just waiting to be verified or denied.

He pulled his hand away from her fingers, only to use it to tilt her chin up so her eyes met his. He was giving her that same, dopey smile he’d been giving her for months. “Yes. I love you.”

The warmth in her chest bloomed, and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks at the admission. She knew how afraid he had been that she would leave him after the Undertaking. There was no hesitation in his words, no ‘but’ hiding behind his statement. He just loved her, plain and simple.

Felicity leaned up on her knees, and placed both of her hands on his cheeks and leaned in until their lips just barely brushed. “I love you, Tommy Merlyn.”

The kiss that followed was awkward, since they were both smiling, so it was a lot more of bumping noses and the slight click of teeth until they were able to properly meet for a warm kiss. One that made the warmth into her chest turn into a slow-burning lava. Like a flame that wouldn’t go out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised alternate chapters about the Oliver discovery, but in order to make you happy, I have to make my muse happy first, and she wanted whatever this was. Forgive me if my interpretation of the celebration is totally off, I could only learn so much from Google, and please correct me if I got anything wrong.  
> I'll try to get another chapter out before the end of the year, probably more on the smutty side as a treat for y'all. Happy Holidays!


	9. Maybe This is the Safest Way to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected appearance from an old foe shakes Tommy to his core.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a great holiday season! And a good January, so far. As usual, please excuse the formatting. I would go back and change it, but I don't have the will to right now.
> 
> This chapter takes place a little bit after the Hannukah chapter. I am not keeping track of the season 2 timeline (and gave up on canon a long time ago anyway), but let's say it takes place in February of season 2. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Angst and smut ahead. Enjoy!

“Oliver, what is it?” Felicity demanded, _hating_ that she was blind. This was why she always argued against trips into No-Man’s-Land. With all of the cameras still down, she couldn’t have eyes on him or Diggle. She knew he had survived for five years and many months without her, but it felt wrong to not be able to see him, to warn him about potential danger.

There was a loud _bang_ , and Oliver yelled out in pain. Felicity dug her nails into her palm, hard, before turning back to her keyboard. “Oliver?” No response, just a strangely familiar clanging noise, and occasional grunts of pain.

“Dig? Get him out of there.”

Static. “Diggle!”

It was another heart-wrenching five minutes before she got an answer. Another thirty seconds and she would have put in a call to Lance, secret identities be damned.

“We’re okay.” Diggle’s voice came over the comms, and Felicity slumped down in her chair, the tension leaving her body. “We met an old friend.”

She was already pulling up files on their old cases. “Who?”

Oliver’s voice was shaking with rage when he growled, “Malcom Merlyn.”

The name stopped her dead in her tracks. Ice flooded her veins. It... it wasn't possible. Felicity felt her stomach drop. It was the kind of feeling that made her hate roller coasters. Hurtling towards danger at an unstoppable pace.

“He’s supposed to be dead. I’ve been watching his finances, he hasn’t touched a cent.” She was shaking her head even as she typed. “You killed him.”

“Yeah, he was really unhappy about the whole being dead thing.”

Felicity wanted to snort at his sarcasm, but she couldn’t. Malcom had almost killed Oliver. He was _dead_. “How did he find you?”

She could hear wind in the background and switched back over to the traffic cams to see Oliver and Dig racing back to the foundry. “The robbery tip we got was a trap. He set us up.” Oliver’s voice was hard, and angry. "Probably would have killed me, too, if Barry hadn’t set me up with the suit.”

“We should send that kid an edible arrangement sometime.” Diggle mused, clearly trying to redirect the conversation. That, at least made her laugh.

“What did he want?” Felicity asked as she began to open every file she had on Malcom.

“Aside from my death? Oh, just to finish his plan to level the Glades, and probably become mayor of Starling City. Normal stuff.”

Sadly, this was becoming normal to hear from the villains they typically dealt with.

The pounding bass beat of music floated down from the club, and Felicity rolled her eyes at the music, and then froze as a thought struck her. Goosebumps rose on her skin. “Oliver,” She said slowly. “Did Malcom say anything to you about Tommy, or Verdant?”

“No, why?” She could see him and Diggle paused at a red light.

“Don’t come back to the Foundry. He knows who you are, now. You can’t make an appearance at the club five minutes after fighting Malcom. He’s going figure out where the lair is.” She closed a shaking hand into a fist. “You can’t protect Tommy and me secret at the same time.”

The motorcycles idled even as the light turned green. “Diggle will go back, I’ll circle the block and make sure he isn’t tailing us.”

“I’ll block the cameras long enough so that Merlyn can’t see where you’re heading, if he's watching the traffic.”

“See you soon, Felicity.”

“Be safe.” She told both of them, and then finished setting up timed blackouts for each traffic camera on the way, as well as a few others in different directions to throw off anyone who might have been watching the same feeds she was.

Then, she went to tell Tommy.

* * *

Tommy hadn’t argued when she suggested he spend the night at her apartment. He just followed her lead with a sort of numb silence, which unnerved her even more.

“Tommy,” She knelt next to him on the couch as he sat, staring blankly at her dark television screen. “Talk to me, please.”

His stubble felt rough against her palm as she rested a tentative hand against his cheek. Tommy turned his mournful eyes to look at her, despair painting every plane of his beautiful face.

“He was supposed to be dead.” He rasped in a flat tone. “Why didn’t he die?”

Felicity’s ponytail swished as she shook her head. “I wish I could tell you.”

Tommy folded forward then, running shaking hands through his hair. His posture screamed 'agony', and it reminded her of the night she had told him that she was working with the Hood, where he looked like he was collapsing in on himself. “He should have stayed dead.” He growled.

She ran a tentative hand down his back, feeling the tension in his muscles. Slowly, she dug her fingers into them, relaxing him inch by inch, before he let his shoulders drop. With a gentle tug, he tipped to the side, and rested his head in her lap.

Felicity ran soothing fingers through his black hair as he frowned. She noticed the slight tremors running though his body, and switched tactics. It took a few minutes of her running a calming hand along his arm and back before he stilled.

“I’m so sorry.” Tommy sat up. He still looked absolutely wrecked. Deep lines creased his forehead and carved despair against his mouth.

Felicity shook her head in confusion. “What? Why are you sorry?”

“If… if he finds out about you. Us. How I feel about you.” He shook his head. “You’ll be in danger.”

It was probably an inappropriate response, but Felicity giggled. “Tommy, I would still be in danger even if I wasn’t dating you.” She patted his chest. “You forgot about my night job.”

That just made Tommy frown more, something she didn’t think was possible. Especially for someone so prone to smiling. “My father is evil. He’s beyond evil. If he thinks that there is anything, anyone in this world who makes me happy, he will make it his mission to destroy it. To destroy you.” _Oh_. When he put it that way, she felt her stomach drop a bit more. He must have seen the realization on her face, because he gave her a sad smile. “Sure you don’t want to get out while you still can?”

It was the question that stung her more than the fact that Tommy’s father was probably hunting them down that very moment. “Tommy, what the fuck? No.”

“I wouldn’t blame you, sweetheart.” He murmured, still looking at her with that pained expression. “I want you to be safe.”

Felicity counted to five in her head, and exhaled a long breath. “ _You_ make me feel safe.” She shook her head and let out another little laugh. “There’s nothing in this world that would make me not want to be with you.”

They stared at one another, and Felicity only realized then the gravity of her words. She bit her lip, but before she could babble away her feelings, Tommy spoke.

“I love you. I want you. And I want you to love me more than anything else. Maybe that’s selfish, considering what you’d be signing up for with me, but it’s true. You’re-” His voice broke. “You are my everything, Felicity.” Tommy’s gaze was firm, even though his beautiful eyes were filled with tears.

“Tommy.” She whispered, her own tears pricking the edges of her eyes. Felicity rested a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into her touch, his own blue eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “What do you need from me?”

He reached out for her free hand, and she let him tangle their fingers together, and pull their joined hands to his chest. She could feel the thundering of his heart through the cotton t-shirt. “I need you.” Tommy’s voice broke on the second word, and her tears finally spilled over. She felt her heart break all over again for him, this gentle man who had been through far too much and still somehow suffered for his father's sins.

“You have me.” Felicity promised. She kissed him then, and it was awkward because she was crying, and so was he, but this was the best way she knew to tell him that she wasn’t going anywhere. “You will always have me.”

When he picked her up, she wasn’t surprised. He slid his hands to support her ass, and she wrapped her legs around him, wanting to be as close as possible to Tommy.

When he laid her down on the bed, she tugged him down so he was lying next to her. Their legs tangled together, and Felicity gripped his hand tightly in her own. “Tommy.” She whispered. “I love you more than anything.” She stared at him hard, willing him to believe her.

Something akin to astonishment appeared on her boyfriend’s face, and it made Felicity want to kill Malcom Merlyn all over again. What had he done to Tommy? What had he said to make his son believe he wasn’t worthy of being loved?

Her furious thoughts were derailed when Tommy surged forward and kissed her so hard, he stole her breath. Automatically, Felicity responded, threading her fingers into his dark hair and tugging lightly, the way she knew he liked. He hummed against her lips, which caused her to smile.

Shirts, then pants, then everything else came off in an easy, unhurried manner. And between it all, tender kisses pressed against bare patches of skin- her hip, his shoulder blade, and everywhere in between. Tommy’s arms were a warm bracket around her as he pushed into her. They started slow, and easy.

Felicity’s finger’s skated up the toned planes of his back until she reached his neck, so she could pull his lips down to hers again. He kissed her cheek, then her collar bone, then leaned farther down to flick his tongue against her hardened nipple, causing her to cry out at the sensation. His breath caused goosebumps to crop up against her creamy skin, and his hot mouth was a heightened contrast. Her fingernails scraped against his scalp as he alternated his attention between her two breasts. His expert tongue flicked, sucked, and even lightly bit against her skin until she could hardly stand it.

“Tommy, please.” But he wasn’t moving in her, wasn’t doing what she needed. With great difficulty, she rolled them over so that she was on top of him. Tommy raised a pleased eyebrow at her as she began to ride him. She squeezed a couple of times and grinned when his head slammed back against the pillows as he let out a curse.

She traced her fingers up his torso and then scraped her fingernails lightly down, catching on his nipples. Tommy’s hips jolted forward and she took it in stride. She increased her pace, bouncing so fast her bed began to squeak, and Tommy’s voice became even more needy, and then she slowed to lean forward and kiss his neck. He groaned at the loss. She tugged lightly on his earlobe with her teeth, and his hands were so hard on her hips, she had no doubt they would leave bruises.

She lifted up so that she was almost entirely off of him, and then slammed back down. “Oh god, babe, do that again, holy _shit_.” Tommy pleaded, and she happily acquiesced.

Felicity leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. “Hey.” She beamed when his eyes met hers. “I love you.”

“I love you.” He echoed. He brushed a thumb against her cheekbone, and she turned to kiss his fingertip. “I love you so much.”

Then she started up again, riding him faster and harder than before. His thumb found her clit, and then it was _Felicity_ who swore, gripping his biceps as she tried to remember to move as heat coiled in her belly, getting tighter and tighter, and she knew she would crash over the edge at any moment.

She wasn’t sure who came first, but it was one after the other, like a ripple effect. She collapsed against his chest, and listened to his heartbeat begin to slow as she caught her breath.

Somehow, Tommy’s hand found its way to her hair, and played with the loose strands as Felicity snuggled against him. The world seemed soft around the edges, and she felt warmth wash through her. They were safe from the Malcom Merlyns of the world here.

“You’re the person I want to end up with, you know.” Tommy’s voice was light and dreamy, as he carded his fingers through her hair.

Felicity smiled and pressed a kiss to his chest as the warm feeling washed over her again. “That’s pretty convenient, seeing as I feel the same.” She hadn’t thought about it until she had said it aloud, but. Yes. Tommy was the person she could see herself growing old with. He was the one who had helped her overcome her distrust of herself and of love. They were both members of the Shitty Dads Club, but even more importantly, they understood each other beyond all the trauma. They were partners in every way.

Also, the sex was pretty great.

“When all of this is over,” Tommy’s sentence was broken up by a yawn. “Let’s revisit that point. ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I want to marry you.”

_Oh._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How far we have come from the earthquake. Tommy just wants to marry his girlfriend without his homicidal dad getting in the way :(
> 
> Hopefully I can start updating more regularly. I just moved, and am finally almost unpacked! I have so many half-finished drafts for these two, and now I have a little more time to finish them up and post!


End file.
